Bike-Borne Boys Throw Acid On 17-Year-Old School Girl In Delhi, Rises Questions On Over-Counter Sales

Do the laws really protect people? Or does it facilitate criminals to get off the hook through loopholes and lenient law enforcers? The rage is loud and clear among people after an incident where a schoolgirl in Delhi was thrown acid at by two men on a bike. The schoolgirl was immediately rushed for treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital. It has, however, raised questions about the violence that continues against women in the national capital and the over-the-counter sale of acid despite its ban in the country.

After the Laxmi vs Union of India (2013), the Supreme Court had set regulations that establishments selling acid would need a licence to do so and must be registered under The Poisons Act 1919. Furthermore, shops need to maintain a register of their stock and individual sales of the acid, and the buyer has to compulsorily provide ID proof and disclose the reason for buying acid. While these regulations still exist on paper, has it really influenced the number of acid attacks and kept people from committing such crimes?

Know About The Incident

On a scooter, two boys on December 14 threw acid at a schoolgirl in Delhi's Dwarka area. The girl is a student of Class 12 and was walking to her school when the incident happened. Shocking footage of the incident was captured by a CCTV camera in the locality and showed the girl running in extreme pain after the boys splashed the acid on her. Eyewitnesses stated that a neighbour had immediately attended to the girl and helped her wash the chemical off her face, and she was then admitted to the hospital.

A report by the Free Press Journal quoted the Delhi Police saying they had received a call from the control room around 9 am regarding the incident. They analysed the CCTV footage but did not receive much clarity on the perpetrators. They were on a scooty with no number plate, and both boys had their faces covered.

However, the victim's sister, who was with her at the time, raised suspicion about two boys known to them. Based on the information, one person has been detained, and further investigation is ongoing.

Why Do Such Crimes Continue Despite Existing Laws & Bans?

Commenting on the issue, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that such incidents cannot be tolerated and that the safety of every girl child in Delhi is important to them. This statement was put to scrutiny by many netizens who pointed out how the government fails to ensure strict punishment for criminals.

However, it all pointed to an even more serious concern beneath the surface. Acid continues to be sold and bought with ease despite being banned by the Supreme Court of India.

The Lt Governor spoke to the Police Commissioner about the unfortunate incident of acid attack that took place at Dwarka More today and sought a detailed report into the incident, including as to how the acid used was procured despite a ban in the City.

— Raj Niwas Delhi 🇮🇳 (@RajNiwasDelhi) December 14, 2022

Pointing this out, the Delhi women's panel chief Swati Maliwal expressed concern and questioned why the sale of acid continues to be unrestricted in the country. In a video posted by the Commission, she was seen saying, "Two goons throw acid at a school girl in broad daylight in the country's capital. Does anyone still fear the law?" She then elaborates on how acid continues to be sold as easily as vegetables in the country, which imposed a ban on it almost ten years back.

#DelhiAcidAttack: दिल्ली में एसिड अटैक पर दिल्ली महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष स्वाति मालीवाल का कहना है कि दिल्ली में सब्जियों की तरह बिक रहा एसिड। इस पर रोक लगाने के लिए कोर्ट जाएंगे।

pic.twitter.com/AMnd2cbn6M

— NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) December 14, 2022

I was attacked with acid in 2009. 13 years have passed.
And yet, girls are being attacked with acid.

When will the government and Supreme Court wake up?@SwatiJaiHind @DCWDelhi @GovernmentofI20 @sushant_says @ravishndtv @IndiaAheadNews #acidattack #JawabDoModi #banacidsale pic.twitter.com/0l21tlD3N5

— Brave Souls Foundation (@BraveSouls_NGO) December 14, 2022

Many others were also of the same opinion. NDTV Journalist Priyanshi Sharma tweeted that it is "Disturbing how acid is still freely available in India despite SC's ban of over-the-counter sales."

Shocking case of acid attack on a 17-year old girl in Delhi's Dwarka area. 2 boys riding on a bike throw acid on the girl in broad daylight. Disturbing how acid is still freely available in India despite SC's ban of over the counter sales. pic.twitter.com/OAwpN73v4u

— Priyanshi Sharma (@Priyanshi50) December 14, 2022

Replying to her comment, a user named Deepak stated, "If acid wasn't available, then they would have done any other harm. It wouldn't stop until mentality of people changes and it can happen only by education system, education system like japan where students are taught practically how to respect and behave since KG to high school." While it is a thought to ponder, it does not help take the attention away from the fact that the law and law enforcers place such harmful materials into the hands of the criminals by not properly implementing the laws.

Deputy editor of India today, Sneha Mordani, quoted Swati Maliwal and cited the example of Bangladesh, where a ban and regulation on acid had considerably reduced the number of attacks in the country. She then poses the question, "Why not in India?" Right after the ban, from 2014 to 2018, at least 1,483 acid attacks were reported in the country, according to statistics presented by the Union Home Ministry. From 2018 to 2022, 386 such attacks against women were registered, and out of these, 62 persons were convicted. Following this, the Centre issued guidelines to every state and union territory to ensure the laws are in place and the sale of acid is regulated.

However, in research conducted by the Delhi Commission for Women, they found that many of the sub-divisional magistrates, who are supposed to inspect and ensure acid is not being sold freely, did not conduct a single inspection in the past six years. Many have not even collected a single fine on acid sales since 2017. So the core problem of the issue continues to lie within enforcement, and the lack of strong penal provisions has played itself in contributing to many such criminal conducts.

Acid continues to be sold easily in the markets, with a litre costing less than ₹50 at times. In light of such crimes being continuously conducted against women, the need for robust legislation and awareness arises again. As a Twitter user stated, this type of news continues to horrify every girl or woman from stepping outside their homes. Until and unless the law removes their blindfold, it would sadly continue to be the lived reality of many more women.

Also Read: The Story Of A Superhero Who Fights To Save Acid-Attack Survivors