A bench headed by Justice R M Lodha said
that people are dying everyday due to acid attacks but the Centre has failed.
to
frame a policy despite assurance given by it on the last hearing on April 16.
"Seriousness is not seen on the
part of government in handling the issue," the bench said, while granting
one week's time as a last opportunity to the Centre to frame policy in
consultation with state governments.
"People are dying, but you are not
worried about it. Think of people who are losing their lives everyday. Girls
are being
attacked everyday in different parts of the country," the bench said.
It also said, "with heavy heart
this court had passed order in April, but the government failed to come out
with any scheme to curb sale of acid in the market.
The bench made it clear that if the
Centre fails to come out with such a scheme on the next date of hearing, July
16,
then
it would pass orders.
On April 16, the apex court had said it
will wait for the Centre and the state governments to explore ways to regulate sale
of acids for domestic use before it imposes a ban on the chemical.
Earlier, on February 6, the court had
directed the Cetre to convene in six weeks a meeting of Chief Secretaries of
all
states
and Union Territories to hold discussion for enacting a law to regulate the
sale of acids and a policy for treatment, compensation and care and
rehabilitation of such victims.
The
bench had said that for evolving such a policy, the Secretary, Ministry of
Chemical and Fertilisers, and secretaries concerned from the states would be
involved.
The court was hearing a PIL filed in
2006 by Delhi-based acid attack victim Laxmi, who was then a minor. Her arms,
face and
other body parts were disfigured in the acid attack.
In
her plea, Laxmi had sought framing of a new law or amendment to the existing
criminal laws like IPC, Indian Evidence Act and CrPC for dealing with the
offence, besides asking for compensation.
Laxmi was subjected to acid attack by
three youths near Tughlaq Road here as she had refused to marry one of them,
according to the petition. The trial is going on for the offence of attempt to
murder and two of the accused are out on bail.
In her petition, she had pleaded for a
total ban on sale of acid as there were increasing number of incidents of such
attacks on women in different states.
The petitioner had also submitted that
even a small country like Bangladesh had taken measures to prevent such
attacks.
On July 2 last year, the apex court had
asked the Centre to apprise it of the measures to regulate the sale of acid to
prevent its misuse as a weapon, particularly against women.
The court had asked the Union HomeMinistry on April 29 last year to coordinate with the states and Union
Territories
for
formulation of an appropriate scheme.
The apex court had also sought responses
of the Centre and state governments on whether any suitable scheme can be prepared
by them to provide adequate compensation to the victims for their treatment and
rehabilitation.
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