The acid attack on a 17-year-old girl in Delhi by a jilted lover and his accomplices is a grim reminder of the poor and inefficient system that has consistently failed to prevent such heinous attacks. The news of the attack made headlines in the national media and once again debate over how effective the system is to check such attacks has been ignited. Though the Supreme Court had in 2013 prohibited the over-the-counter sale and purchase of acids, the ban is widely violated – with almost nonexistent checks and penalties. It is unfortunate that the present system allows anyone to procure acid online for a pittance.
There is a need for an urgent review to see how such transactions can be regulated. In August, the Lok Sabha was informed that 386 acid attack cases on women were reported during 2018-22 and only 62 persons were convicted. There are many more such violent attacks that go unreported. As the latest victim of the acid attack battles for her life in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, a look at the law enforcement and justice delivery systems in such cases puts one to shame. The alarming rate of pendency in such sensitive cases has raised a question about the pace of judicial proceedings in the country. In 2013, Parliament made amendments to criminalise acid attacks and to provide compensation to survivors of such attacks for medical expenses. But the plight of acid attack survivors is largely ignored.