SC for strict law on acid attacks

Asking the Additional Solicitor General to examine the feasibil- ity of having a separate strin- gent penal law, the court told him to study a recent legislation of Bangladesh, which has come out with rigorous punishments for acid attackers.

THE CENTRE was on Monday directed by the Supreme Court to consider regulating the sale of acid and corrosive substances in the open market.

A bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan gave the government two months to take a final decision and report back during the third week of July. Asking Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran to examine the feasibility of having a separate stringent penal law, the court told him to study the recent legislation of Bangladesh, which has come out with rigorous punishments for acid attackers. The court said the government should bring in legislation on similar lines. The court's order to either have a separate law or introduce the provision in the Indian Penal Code against throwing acid on women was passed during the hearing of a PIL by a Delhi-based girl who is an acid attack victim. The petitioner has sought harsher punishment for the accused. Laxmi, 19, was attacked by a man who threw acid on her for refusing to marry him. The incident deformed the girl, leaving her arms, face and other body parts disfigured. Laxmi's counsel, Aparna Bhat, apprised the court about how even Bangladesh had a separate law to deal with acid attackers. She said under the present criminal law in India, an acid attacker is charged with merely inflicting grievous physical injuries that entails a maximum seven year jail term on conviction. Bhat pointed out the offence is bailable, which permits the accused to walk free even after arrest. She told the court Bangladesh also had an Acid Control Order, which regulated the sale of acid there. At this the bench asked the law officer why the government was not simply taking the Bangla Desh law and amending the Indian penal law appropriately, instead waiting for the reports of the Law Commission and NCW.

With Thanks from the Times of India
Source:- Hindustan Times 30th April 2008 P. 14 New Delhi