Calcutta HC: File report on aid to acid attack victims

Kolkata: Calcutta high court on Friday directed the state government to file an affidavit by March 2 giving details of the measures it has taken to pay compensation to acid attack victims, arrest the culprits for the horrifying crime and status of the distribution of disability certificates. 

During the hearing of the petitions filed by 10 acid attack victims separately but clubbed together for the sake of convenience, Justice Dipankar Dutta expressed his unhappiness over the slow progress of the process of payment of compensation to the victims.

The state government’s counsel Tapan Mukherjee informed Justice Dutta that the state government has allocated Rs 50 lakh in the first phase to pay compensation to the acid attack victims. “The state government will bear all expenses of their treatment in state-run hospitals,” Mr Mukherjee added. 

He said that the acid attack victims should approach the State Legal Services Authority to receive the compensation money. 

The Supreme Court gave a ruling in December 2015 directing the states to consider the plight of acid attack victims and take appropriate steps with regard to inclusion of their names under the disability list. 

The apex court said that the state should take full responsibility for the treatment and rehabilitation of the victims of acid attack.