Supreme Court asks acid attack survivors to approach legal services authority for compensation

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that acid attack survivors should approach their respective state legal services authority if disbursal of the amount of compensation they were entitled to got delayed.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar allowed the Centre additional time to file a reply in a pending plea.

A counsel for Mumbai-based NGO Acid Survivors Sahas Foundation, submitted that such acid attack survivors were finding it difficult to receive compensation from authorities in Maharashtra. The plea also alleged that the private hospitals refused to admit and for treatment to acid attack survivors.

The court asked them to approach the State Legal Services Authority with their grievances.

“Just get in touch with the state legal services authorities (SLSAs),” the bench said.

The court also said that acid attack survivors should not be refrained from getting help or assistance from private hospitals whether it was admission or treatment there.

Giving an example of a four-year-old acid attack survivor girl, the counsel said that unfortunately she has failed to get any compensation so far. 

The court said, SALSA should ensure that the compensation amount to acid attack survivors must be speedy. The private hospitals should comply with the orders, and if there is refusal, then it must be brought into the court's cognisance. 

The court also directed the states to file their replies within four weeks to a plea on increasing the compensation amount of the acid attack survivors.