'Acid attack accused threat to society, civilians': SC to hear pending cases next week
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday said there should be stringent condition that should be imposed on persons accused of committing acid attacks, calling them a hreat to the society, civilians and even rule of law. They (acid attack accused) are threat to the society, civilians and even the rule of law. There should be some stringent condition that should be imposed on these persons, observed, a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The court made these observations while hearing a plea filed by acid attack survivor, Shaheen Malik seeking appropriate directions to the Union of India on a larger issue. During the course of the hearing on Thursday in the forceful ingestion of acid to women, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said that this was animal instinct. The CJI also agreed with Mehta's submissions, as the court told the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to fast-track all five pending acid attack trials . The Petitioner, an acid attack survivor, Shaheen Malik, in the apex court highlighted a brutal case of a 28-year-old woman allegedly forced to drink acid, now weighing only 20 kg with a haemoglobin level of 3. Hearing this, the CJI noted that the NALSA (Narional Legal Services Authority) schemes are working effectively and state coordination has improved. Mehta reminded the Court that the CrPC also empowered the courts to order compensation from the accused. Justice Bagchi observed that the current law defines acid attacks by focusing solely on external disfigurement. To this, Mehta pointed out that he personally believed the definition should be revised. Eventually, the court remarked that an added clarification would address the issue and posted the matter for further hearing after six weeks. In 2009, Maliks life took a devastating turn when she fell victim to an acid attack that left her with third-degree burns on 90 percent of her face and body. 'This is such a shame, mockery of system': SC slams 16-year delay in Delhi acid attack trial A week ago, the Supreme Court had also in the same matter, expressed its strongest displeasure after being apprised by Malik that the criminal trial against those who attacked her remains pending before a trial court in Delhi even though sixteen years have passed, as it noted that his is such a shame, this is a mockery of the system. If the national capital cannot handle such a situation, then who will? This is such a shame! This (the delay in criminal trial) is a mockery of the system, the two-judge bench of the apex court had remarked. The submissions were made by Malik's lawyer to the court that there was an attack on her in the year 2009. There are others who are made to drink acid and they suffer equally. They are made to eat food by food pipe, the acid attack survivor's counsel told the Court. Hearing this, an angry CJI Kant then asked whether the trial against the person who attacked the petitioner was still pending. The lawyer replied that the criminal trial is still pending before a Rohini trial court in New Delhi. The CJI remarked that such a long delay in concluding the trial reflected a shameful state of affair, as the court in its order on Thursday had sought complete details of all the pending trials involving acid attack victims across the country, and fixed the matter for further hearing to next week. Issue notice. We direct Registrar General of all High Courts to furnish details of all pending trials in the matters of acid attack victims, the court had said in its order.
19 C
