Apex court initiates move to regulate acid sales


New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday sought viewes of various state governments on regulating sale of acid in their territories to curb its misuse as a weapon of vengeance against young women, often by their spurned lovers with criminal bent of mind.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice B.S. Chauhan sought from state governments their stand on whether across-the-counter sale of acid should be curbed. The court sent notices to all states.

The bench was hearing a lawsuit by a young Delhi-based girl, Laxmi, whose face was disfigured by her fiancé who threw acid over her to avenge his rejection by her.

A civil society later moved the court, seeking stringent penal provisions for misuse of acid as a weapon against women. The lawsuit also sought regulation of acid sales or total ban on it.

Earlier in April 2008, the apex court asked the union government to examine the feasibility of legislating a stringent penal law, like one in Bangladesh, to deal with the incidents of acid-throwing on women and young girls.

The court also asked the government to examine the feasibility of regulating the sale of acid on the lines of provisions existing in Bangladesh.

Later in July last year, the government expressed willingness to amend the penal law to provide for harsher punishment for throwing acid on women, but it had wanted more time to discuss the issue with state governments. It said state governments had shown willingness for a harsher penal law for the purpose.

The government at that time also disfavoured a blanket ban on the sale of acid.

The government later told the court that there was no consensus among various states and the centre on making the law harsher for criminals convicted for throwing acid on women. Accordingly, the court had begun examining the idea of regulating the sale of acid.