SC asks states to consider funding treatment, plastic surgery for acid attack victims

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all state governments and Union territories to frame rules for regulating sale of acid by March 31, next year.

The court also sought response from all state governments for providing free treatment to acid victims including the cost of plastic surgery.

Taking the Haryana government schemes as model, the SC asks the government to respond why they should not bear cost of corrective and plastic surgery required by acid attack victims and follow up psychiatric treatment to enable the victim to recover from the horrific experience.

The SC also asked the police to inform the concerned SDM immediately about an acid attack case so that he could inquire how the corrosive substance was procured.

Haryana government told the Supreme Court that it is bearing the entire cost of medical and psychiatric treatment of an acid attack victim as well as the plastic surgery required by the victim.

A bench headed by Justice R M Lodha asked the chief secretaries of all states and administrators of union territories to give their response by April 15 2014.