Explained: Why acid attacks continue to occur in India

Another day, another acid attack in India.

A 17-year-old girl was attacked with acid by a youth near National Capital’s Dwarka area on Wednesday morning. The schoolgirl was rushed to Safdarjung hospital for treatment.

The preliminary report suggests that she is stable.

The Delhi Police have detained one person in the case, and are on the lookout for the second youth who is reportedly the prime suspect.

#DelhiShocker | Bike-borne men throw acid on schoolgirl in Dwarka, incident caught on camera pic.twitter.com/wFp0f0uRWx

— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 14, 2022

A doctor from the hospital informed that the victim has suffered seven to eight per cent facial burns and her eyes have also been affected. She has been admitted to the burn ICU and is stable, reported News18.

But who do these attacks continue to occur? Let’s take a closer look:

Also read: Acid attack on youth after his goat strayed into neighbour’s land in West Bengal

What is an acid attack?

An acid attack is a crime of hurting a person by throwing acid on them, administering acid to that person or doing anything with acid with the intention or knowledge that it would harm the person, as per law website Nyaaya.

The Law Commission of India defines an acid attack as a form of violence against women where the perpetrator splashes a person or object with acid in order to deface or kill them.

Incidents of such attacks often take place at home, on the streets and even at workplaces.

Also read: Ranchi man throws acid on wife after dispute over motor bike

Acid attacks in India

According to the data from the National Crime Records Bureau, a part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, around 200-250 acid attack cases are reported in the country every year.

The actual figure is likely higher as numerous incidents go unreported.

Between 2015 and 2021, there have been 1,575 acid attack cases reported in the country.

The year 2016 witnessed the highest number of acid attacks in the past seven years with 283 cases, while 2021 witnessed the lowest number of attacks with 176 cases reported.

Notably, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi consistently rank among the ten worst states in terms of acid attacks.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh man attacks 14-year-old girl with acid, slits throat; taken into custody

Acid is banned, but remains widely available

In 2013, India banned over-the-counter sales of acid to the public after a ruling from the Supreme Court.

The apex court in its verdict called acid attacks ‘worse than murder’, saying victims have minimal chance of getting their lives back on track after such shattering harm.

The court further ruled that victims ought to receive free medical treatment and minimum compensation of Rs three lakh.

As per the court ruling,  only those with a licence would be allowed to buy the chemical.

The court, in 2017 asked the states and the Central government to monitor the use of acid across the country to prevent acid attacks.

However, DCW chief Swati Maliwal told Mirror Now acid is still being freely sold and that the ban has been largely futile as acid and similar corrosive substances remain available on the market.

“We have been demanding a ban on the retail sale of acid but in vain,” Maliwal added.

Maliwal further took to Twitter to ask why sale of acid continues in the National Capital.

देश की राजधानी में दिन दहाड़े एक स्कूली बच्ची पर 2 बदमाश दबंगई से तेज़ाब फेंककर निकल जाते हैं… क्या किसी को भी अब क़ानून का डर है ? क्यों तेज़ाब पर बैन नहीं लगाया जाता ? SHAME pic.twitter.com/kaWWQYey7A

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) December 14, 2022

The DCW cited a study conducted by NGO Stop Acid Attack that showed that two of the National Capital’s 11 districts have not even conducted any inspections since 2017, and five of these districts have not imposed a single fine.

Earlier speaking to The Times of India, Laxmi Agarwal — who now advocates against the sale of acid and other harmful chemical substances  after she suffered an acid attack in 1990 in the National Capital — said that many shopkeepers she has spoken to, are unaware of the law.

She said that people stock acid at home for various reasons, including cleaning the toilets, even though it is hazardous to store for any purpose.

Expert opinion

But why do acid attacks occur?

Research suggests 20 per cent of acid attacks occur because of land, business and property disputes, while others occur due to rejection, unrequited love, and dowry disagreements.

Assistant Director of Acid Survivors and Women Welfare Foundation (ASWWF), Chennai chapter, Avijit Kumar, believes women in Classes 9 to 12 are the most vulnerable to acid attacks across India.

DTNext quoted Kumar as saying, “Women and children, especially studying in classes 9 to 12, are the most vulnerable to acid attacks across India. They should be encouraged to report the accused when the latter exhibits dangerous and/or disturbing behaviour. To do so, we should motivate and ensure a safe space for them.”

“The conviction rate in India is only 40 per cent. Shockingly, in the same period (2016-2020), West Bengal reported the highest cases in the country with 294 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh with 243 cases,” he added.

Some experts also believe that acid attack is not always limited to someone’s gender.

The NGO Make Love Not Scars in its book of the same name have claimed “acid attack is not always a gender-based violence.”

With inputs from agencies

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