The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to look into a plea that acid attack survivors, mostly young women, have neither been paid in full the minimum ₹3 lakh in victim compensation nor provided free critical care by private hospitals.
A Bench headed by Justice B.V. Nagarathna decided to examine what ails the disbursement of victim compensation to acid attack survivors despite repeated judicial orders from the top court spanning years.
The court had in 2006 taken judicial cognisance of the trauma undergone by acid attack victims after witnessing and hearing Laxmi, who was ambushed by a trio of men, one of whom she had refused to marry. Laxmi was 15 years old at the time.
The top court had ordered States to pay victims a minimum ₹3 lakh compensation, of which ₹1 lakh was to be given within 15 days of the incident and the balance within two months. The court had banned over-the-counter sale of acid. It had declared that private hospitals would be held criminally liable for refusing free treatment to victims before referring them to a specialised facility. Free medical treatment included medicines, bed and food besides physical treatment to victims of acid attacks. These directions were passed in judicial orders in 2013 and reiterated by the top court in 2015.
