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HC tells Punjab to form policy for acid attack victims
The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted two months to the Punjab government to take a decision about framing of a scheme for free medical treatment, grant of appropriate compensation and rehabilitation of acid attack victims.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted two months to the Punjab government to take a decision about framing of a scheme for free medical treatment, grant of appropriate compensation and rehabilitation of acid attack victims.
The directions came on Wednesday from the division bench headed by chief justice Arjan Kumar Sikri on a public interest litigation filed by advocate HC Arora.
However, the state government assured the high court to pay Rs 3 lakh from the chief minister's relief fund to Morinda acid attack victim Inderjit Kaur by Wednesday evening for her eye surgery at Chennai-based hospital Sankara Nethralaya.
On December 8, 2011, Manjit Singh of Zirakpur had entered Inderjit's house in Morinda and threw acid on her face and body because she had refused to accept his marriage proposal. The victim's eyesight was considerably damaged and her face was completely disfigured.
During the arguments of the case, the court also observed that there was some reluctance on the part of the government authorities in framing a proper policy for acid attack victims.
When the state government counsel stated that it was difficult for the government to bear the medical treatment expenses of every acid attack victim as the number of such cases was on the rise, the chief justice, speaking for the bench, said, "An acid attack is worse than murder. After murder, a person may lie in peace. However, an acid attack victim faces an ordeal throughout her life."
The case would now come up for hearing on March 22.
