By IANS
New Delhi : Terming acid attacks on women by spurned lovers as a crime "worse than murder", the Supreme Court Friday asked the central government about its stand on the need for harsher laws to deal with it.
A bench of Justice G.P. Mathur and Justice P.K. Balasubramanyam asked Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran to file the government's response on the issue of enacting harsher laws within six weeks.
As Parasharan, during the hearing of a petition by acid-attack victim Laxmi, told the bench that even the Law Commission of India has made some recommendations to the government on the issue, the bench asked him to file the law commission's report as well to the court.
During the hearing of the petition by the 19-year-old victim, the bench observed, "It's a crime worse than murder. The girl's life stands ruined absolutely and permanently".
The court also wanted the state to finance the medical treatment of the victim and provide her adequate compensation.
The court made the observation while hearing a petition by Laxmi, who fell victim to acid attack by a youth after she refused to marry him. The girl's arms, face and other body parts were severely disfigured.
Describing the victim's plight, her counsel Aparna Bhat told the court that the girl's parents despite being immensely poor have ended up spending nearly Rs.250,000 – a sum collected through charity from their well wishers and friends.
Bhat said the girl has undergone at least three major surgeries till date, but stands a bleak chance of regaining her normal self.
Bhat pointed out to the court that cases of acid-attacks generally invoke penal provision for merely inflicting grievous physical injuries, entailing a maximum seven-year jail term on conviction.
She said that the offence is even bailable, owing to which the accused is able to win his freedom on bail soon after committing the crime, while the victim of an acid attack, like a rape victim, stands doomed for life.