New Delhi: In a major step towards curbing acid attacks across the country, the Centre on Tuesday presented before the Supreme Court a report on the steps it intended to take to ban the sale of acid in open market. Acid will now be categorised as poison, the Centre told the apex court, adding the seller will need a license and the buyer will have to submit a photo identity card and an address proof to purchase acid. The Centre also submitted a draft on the rehabilitation of acid attack victims. Next hearing in the case is after two days. On July 09, the apex court had frowned at the central and the state governments for not doing anything to regulate the sale of acid in open market even though a number of cases involving acid attacks were taking place every day. It had warned that it would impose a ban on sale of acid in the open market if the government did not indicate any action by next week (July 16). The court said that in its April 16 order, it had expressed concern as the incidents of acid attacks were occurring across the country and one reason for this was easy availability of acid for sale in the country. The court took the dim view of the inaction on the part of the central and state governments in the course of the hearing of a petition seeking treatment, after care and rehabilitation and compensation to the acid attack victims by the government and deterrent provision for the punishment of the accused. The court had also regretted that the solution for the grievous problem was not forthcoming. Giving another opportunity to the central government file an affidavit on the steps it intended to take to ban the sale of acid in open market, the court had said: "If an affidavit is not filed by the next week, the court will pass an appropriate order to ban retail sale of acid across the country."
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 16:57:35 +0000
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