Pay Rs 3 Lakh to 2012 acid attack victim: High Court to government

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the state government to pay Rs 3 lakh under the “Manodhairya Yojana” to the victim of a January 2012 acid attack. The court directed the state to compensate the victim within three weeks and also verify her medical bills within 10 days and reimburse them. Acid was thrown on the victim in January 2012 at Goregaon railway station while she was returning home.

A division bench of justice R.M. Borde and justice R.G. Ketkar rapped the state upon being informed that the victim had not been given compensation, had taken a loan to pay her medical bills, and was jobless for a long time

 The government pleader Neha Bhide informed the bench that an amount of Rs 4 lakh was kept towards the petitioner victim’s medical expenses but it could not be disbursed because the victim failed to submit the hospital bills.

According to her, the victim submitted the bills later and now the state is unable to trace her to record her statement.

Bhide also informed the court that the government was yet to decide under which scheme the victim needed to be compensated as the issue was pending before the court whether such schemes would have a retrospective effect or not.

To this, the bench asked the state to pay Rs 3 lakh as compensation to the victim under the “Manodhairya” scheme and also reimburse her medical bills after due verification.

Under the “Manodhairya Yojana”, the state government can award up to Rs 10 lakh compensation to rape and acid attack victims and take care of their medical expenses. The scheme also provides for counseling and vocational training of victims.