TOUSIF RAZA
There are some evils in our society that affect a certain section of people but there are also some crimes which affect the whole society like acid attack. An acid attack,also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriol age, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another “with the intention to disfigure , maim , torture , or kill”. Perpetrators of these attacks throw corrosive liquids at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Acid attacks can lead to permanent, partial, or complete blindness. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has sought explanation from e-commerce player Flipkart regarding sale of acid on its online platform. Acid Attack In India., As per an analysis of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 14 cases of acid attacks were reported per month across the country in, 2021. The number of reported cases saw some decline over the years. However, not all these cases go to trial. Experts believe that the number of reported cases might be low. There are cases where acid attacks happen as part of domestic violence where women are pressured to not report it. While the conviction rate remains low, the acquittal rate remains considerably high in the country. In 2021, in only three cases, there was a conviction of the accused, while in 11 cases, the accused was acquitted.
Status & Cause of Acid Attack In India
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau data, there were more than 1,000 acid attack cases reported in the country between 2017 and 2021. The numbers fell from 249 attacks and 67 attempted attacks in 2019 to 176 attacks but 73 attempted attacks in 2021. West Bengal and UP consistently record the highest number of such cases generally accounting for nearly 50% of all cases in the country year on year. The charge sheeting rate of acid attacks stood at 83% and the conviction rate at 54% in 2019. The primary reason of acid attack in India are: 1) Personal conflict such as refusal of love proposal or the proposal of marriage. 2) Racial discrimination of minority conflict. 3) Religious conflict, that is, during riots, for example, the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984.
Existing Regulations To Control Acid Attack In India
Over-the-counter Sale Is Banned In India Supreme Court banned over-the-counter acid sales across the country in 2013. Over-the-counter sale of acid is prohibited unless the seller maintains a log/register recording the sale of acid, which will contain the details of the person to whom acid is sold and the quantity sold. The log/register shall contain the address of the person to whom it is sold. After the landmark verdict in Laxmi Agarwal’s case in 2013, the Supreme Court also laid out certain guidelines, making license mandatory for selling acid. Shops need to be registered under the Poison Act 1919. Rules are there for the buyer as well. A person has to provide an id card to buy acid and disclose the reason for doing so. Moreover, acids can’t be sold to anyone below 18 years of age. Those violating rules need to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. There are legal provisions regarding such issues In India, there was no separate legislation to deal with acid attacks before the passing of The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act. 2013. The offense was registered under Sections 320, 322, 325, 326, and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (I.P.C) Section 320 – Grievous Hurt; Section 322 – Voluntarily causing Grievous Hurt; Section 325 – Punishment for Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt; Section 326 – Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt By Dangerous Weapons Or Means; Section 307 – Attempt To Murder. Later, the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 inserted Sections 326(A) and 326(B) in IPC to deal with acid attacks.. In July 2022, the Allahabad High Court said that the charge under Section 326A IPC can be framed against the accused even if no grievous hurt has been caused to the acid attack survivor. Grievous hurt to an acid attack survivor is not mandatory in each case. In 2013, the Supreme Court also ruled that victims should receive free medical treatment and minimum compensation of Rs 3 lakh. Section 326(A) states that whoever causes permanent or partial damage shall be punished with minimum 10 years in jail to a life term and a fine up to Rs. 10 Lakh to be given to victim. The Parliamentary panel on Social Justice and Empowerment has pulled up the Union government over the very slow process to categorise over 260 denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes (DNTs) under either the SC/ST/OBC lists. This has led to delay in the approval of benefits under the SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs) scheme.
Aware People About Acid Attack
Perpetrators of these attacks throw corrosive liquids at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Acid attacks can lead to permanent, partial, or complete blindness. Social organisations need make people about the ill effects of acid attacks
Between 2•4% and 10•7% of burns worldwide are due to chemical exposure. Raising awareness of the high incidence of acid attacks and ways to care for and prevent future medical complications is important. Although statistics are scarce, incidence of acid attacks seems to be increasing and most of the victims are women. The increasing occurrence of acid attacks observed in several countries, such as iran is a call for medical, social, and government authorities to explore solutions to prevent such terrible acts from happening and mitigate further complications to their victims, such as burns complications, mental health, and stigma. Mannan and colleagues reported that Jamaica, Bangladesh, and Taiwan have the highest incidence of acid assaults. In Iran, of 121 cases of chemical injury that were reported between 2003 and 2008, ten cases were criminal assaults. According to different organisational reports acid burns are associated with poverty, larceny, and social issues, such as marital trouble (eg, rejected marriage proposal or divorce). Actually people are less aware about the equality of human Acid attacks should receive wider media coverage than they do at present: detailed information about the crime’s irreversible and terrible outcomes and the legal penalties should be stressed to the public. Furthermore, education around safety issues could reduce the incidence of chemical burns and their consequences. Prevention strategies have to be coordinated at national level. Victims—often from low socioeconomic areas—should receive the best medical care possible, first locally and then in a specialised centre. All this will led us to freeness of acid attack crime.
The Author Hails from Tangmarg and can be reached at tousifeqbal555@gmail.com
