The Madhya Pradesh government has failed to curb acid sale in the capital city even after the Supreme Court had in July 2013 asked the state government to control sale of acid within three months by formulating rules and implement them strictly.
While on one side, Union home minister Rajnath Singh showed his concern about acid sale in Lok Sabha during question hour recently and also ensured of taking necessary steps in this regard, the Madhya Pradesh home minister Babulal Gaur has refused to take any responsibility by saying that the home department has nothing to do with acid sale and it’s not a responsibility of his department to curb the sale.
Interestingly, talking to Hindustan Times on Friday Bhopal collector Nishant Warwade said they had received a circular from home department to check acid sale and that they had forwarded it to food and drugs administration (FDA).
However, no action has been taken by any authority. Despite the rise in number of cases of acid attack in the state, acid is being sold in the shops without any inhibition.
In Lok Sabha Union minister of state for home, Haribhai Chaudhary said only recently on April 21, 2015 Madhya Pradesh has recorded the second highest number of acid attacks in 2014 with 53 cases.
{{/usCountry}}In Lok Sabha Union minister of state for home, Haribhai Chaudhary said only recently on April 21, 2015 Madhya Pradesh has recorded the second highest number of acid attacks in 2014 with 53 cases.
{{/usCountry}}But in Bhopal, even a kid can purchase acid without producing identification card and without mentioning his name and reason behind purchase.
Sellers neither maintain a log and register nor ask for photo Id from the buyers.
Talking to HT, an acid seller, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We have not been instructed by anyone so why should we take load of it. If the administration asks us to maintain record, we will follow their instructions.”
Suspect’s daughters claim he was murdered
Daughters of the acid attack accused Sanjay Patil claimed that he was murdered on Friday.
Patil’s daughters Shivani Patil and Nishi Patil claimed that their father was in a relationship with the victim but said the latter used to “fleece” their father.
They said they had requested their father several times to get out of the “trap” laid by the victim but he didn’t listen to them.
Shivani Patil said the call details of her father’s mobile phone and Renu’s mobile phone should be ananlysed and it would substantiate their charges regarding the relationship that her father had with the woman.
They asked how a man (their father), who used to talk to her for hours, could have possibly been a threat to her.
Meanwhile, taking suo moto cognizance of the acid attack, Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has asked the deputy inspector general (DIG), Bhopal, to reply within three days as to why a woman, who came to complain at the police station about a man stalking her, was sent to another police station and not provided help instead.
The commission sought to know why immediate action was not taken on the woman’s complaint and why she was asked to go to Bajariya police station.
Read:Police dept’s failure to address victim’s complaint led to incident