Govt gives highest priority to safety of women & girls

The government has established a comprehensive legal, institutional and policy framework for the prevention of acid attacks, punishment of offenders, protection of survivors, and their rehabilitation, implemented in coordination with States and Union Territories, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.

“Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the primary responsibility for maintaining law and order, investigation, prosecution and protection of citizens, including victims of acid attacks, rests with the respective State Governments and Union Territories. The State Governments are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws.

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Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which has replaced the Indian Penal Code with effect from 1 July 2024, acid attack has been recognised as a distinct and grave offence. Section 124(1) of the BNS provides that whoever causes grievous hurt by use of acid or similar corrosive substance shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than ten years, which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

The provision further mandates that such a fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses of the treatment of the victim. Section 124(2) of the BNS criminalises the attempt to commit an acid attack and prescribes imprisonment of five to seven years along with a fine, thereby ensuring strong deterrence even where the offence does not culminate in actual grievous injury.

As per Section 396 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, every State Government, in coordination with the Central Government shall prepare a victim compensation scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victim or his dependents who have suffered loss or injury as a result of the crime and who require rehabilitation. The section further provides that compensation payable shall be in addition to the payment of the fine to the victim.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also issued a comprehensive Advisory on 20th April 2015 on taking steps to implement the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), now BNS, expediting action in cases of acid attack, and providing treatment and compensation to victims.