Pay additional ₹2 lakh to acid attack victims: Bombay high court to Maharashtra government

The Bombay high court has directed the state to pay an additional ₹2 lakh each to three acid attack victims of 2010 after it was informed that though a compensation amount of ₹3 lakh had already been paid to the victims under the Maharashtra Victim Compensation Scheme, the victims needed help to undergo continuous treatment.

The Bombay high court has directed the state to pay an additional ₹2 lakh each to three acid attack victims of 2010 after it was informed that though a compensation amount of ₹3 lakh had already been paid to the victims under the Maharashtra Victim Compensation Scheme, the victims needed help to undergo continuous treatment.

Mumbai, India - September 03, 2021: Bombay High Court at Fort, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 03, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

A division bench of justice Prasanna Varale and justice Madhav Jamdar while hearing the petition of three acid attack victims was informed by lawyers Anu Kaladharan and Anjali Helekar that the victims who had been attacked in 2010 were deemed eligible for compensation and had received ₹3 lakh towards it from the state. The amount the advocates submitted was the maximum amount payable under the scheme till the scheme was amended in 2017. Under the amended scheme, the amount was increased to ₹5 lakh and was made applicable to victims from December 2009.

The court then held that in light of the Supreme Court direction to pay acid attack victims a minimum compensation amount of ₹3 lakh the state should pay an additional amount of ₹2 lakh to the victims within two weeks and also kept all contentions open for the petitioners and posted hearing of the petition to December 4.