Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 30: Principal Sessions Judge Jammu Sanjay Gupta today awarded seven years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 2 lakh to Special Police Officer Sanjeev Kumar son of Ghara Singh of village Gagian, R S Pura, who was facing trial in acid throwing case.
According to the police case on May 26, 2012 the complainant/victim made a statement to police that when she was returning from her Boutique job along with her father and reached near the gate of CHC, RS Pura, the petitioner stopped her way and proposed her for marriage. On refusal of the complainant/victim, the petitioner threw acid on her with intention to kill her. On the basis of this statement, the police registered the case under FIR No. 84/2012 for the commission of offences U/Ss 307/341 RPC and charges were framed.
Principal Sessions Judge Jammu Sanjay Gupta after hearing Rakesh Badyal Public Prosecutor for the State whereas Bachan Lal Kalgotra for the victim observed that acid attacks are a form of violence against women, where the perpetrator splashes a person with acid in order to deface or kill. Although acid throwing is a form of violence known committed throughout history, there is a steep rise in the number of cases documented in recent years. Some of this increase has been attributed to better documentation, as also to the fact that the victims of such attacks have begun to report the attack more often. However, there appears to be a substantive increase in the number of acid attacks that are being committed in recent times due to various factors. Acid attacks are considered particularly vicious among crimes against women as they cause perpetual suffering to the victim. As acid melts the flesh and even the bones of a person, it causes an unparalleled degree of pain, leaving the victim mutilated and scarred as well as giving her permanent disabilities, for example, blindness. More often than not, these attacks by the perpetrators are viewed as retaliatory or meant for teaching a lesson to adamant women. Injuries and Physical Consequences Acid attacks have a catastrophic effect on human flesh and vital organs. In most of these attacks, hydrochloric and sulphuric acid are used. These corrosive substances cause the skin tissue to melt. The bones of the victims become exposed and, sometimes, the acid dissolves the bones too. Furthermore, if acid enters the eyes of the victim during an attack, as is common in acid attack cases, it damages these vital organs permanently. Many acid attack survivors have lost one or both eyes. As a result of disfigurement and disability, the victims are permanently debilitated and are forced to give up their public lives, work and education and further observed that in a male chauvinistic world, woman is considered to be the property of man. Be it a spurned lover, a suspecting husband or a man who is shooed away when he wants an illicit relationship, each feels humiliated and wants to take revenge against the woman. The easiest way to hurt the woman in such instances is throwing acid on her. It makes the man feel immensely and rather sadistically satisfied if the woman is disfigured. Down the ages, this has been the major cause for atrocities against women. There are umpteen instances in history of how women were treated in times of war or conflict. Rapes, maiming or disfigurement have been common since time immemorial. With the advent of industrialization and inventions, acid has come handy to these egotists in their bid to disfigure women. Acid throwing could well be described as the attempt to control or subjugate women.
With these observations Court awarded seven years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 2 lakh and ordered that if fine amount be realized, the same shall be given to victim as compensation.
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