Acid attack worse than murder: SC

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentence of an acid attack convict and rejected his plea for leniency based on age, declaring such attacks “worse than murder”.

In a 14-page judgment authored by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, the SC dismissed the appeal of Abdul Mannan, who threw acid on a girl, Iqra Parveen, in Faisalabad in September 2019. The court also ordered the convict to pay Rs1 million as compensation to the victim, who suffered permanent injury and disfigurement.

A three-member bench, headed by Kakar and comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, heard the appeal. The court ruled that minority or young age cannot be used as a shield in heinous and premeditated crimes, declaring that acid attacks are even more horrifying than murder.

“Murder ends a life once, but an acid attack victim suffers daily, living like a living corpse,” it said.

In its ruling, the court issued wide-ranging directives aimed at curbing acid violence and ensuring justice and rehabilitation for victims.

It directed all high courts to ensure that trials in acid attack cases are completed within four months in accordance with the law and further instructed them to personally monitor such cases to avoid delays that may cause additional mental trauma to victims.

The court ordered an immediate and complete ban on the open sale of acid to the general public, terming its unregulated availability a serious threat.

It further directed the establishment of a centralized biometric and digital system to regulate the sale and purchase of acid. Under this system, it would be mandatory to record the buyer’s identity, including national identity card details and biometric verification such as thumb impressions.

The judgment also called upon the government to establish a “National Acid Survivors’ Rehabilitation Fund” to support victims. The court directed that the government must bear all expenses related to plastic surgery and psychological treatment of acid attack survivors.

It also ordered that victims who suffer permanent disabilities or become unemployed due to such attacks should receive a monthly stipend.

The court further directed that such victims be issued disability certificates and granted special quotas in government jobs, educational institutions, and welfare schemes.

It emphasised the need for comprehensive social and psychological rehabilitation measures to address what it termed the “social death” of acid attack survivors. It called for the formulation of national rehabilitation guidelines to ensure lifelong treatment and support for victims through dedicated funds.