Lok Sabha Question No. 4238 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Rehabilitation of Acid Attack Survivors
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kirron  Kher

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.4238 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2019

## REHABILITATION OF ACID ATTACK SURVIVORS

## 4238.  SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of acid attacks in the past three years, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  put  in  place  a  mechanism  to  provide  relief  and rehabilitation  of  acid  attack  survivors,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether all the State Governments have prepared a victim compensation scheme to provide legal and other assistance to such victims, if so, the detailsthereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the other steps taken by the Ministry to provide psychological, legaland financial assistance to acid attack survivors?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  compiles  and  publishes  statistics  on crimes in its publication 'Crime in India'. The published reports are available till the year 2017. Details of State/UT-wise number of acid attacks registered in the past three years is at Annexure.

(b)  & (c)   'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibilities to maintain law and order, protection of life and  property  of  the  citizens  rest  with  the  respective  State  Governments.  The  State Governments are competent to deal with such offences under the  extant provisions  of laws.  However,  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  has  issued  a  comprehensive  Advisory  on 20 th April  2015  on  taking  steps  to  implement  the  provisions  of  IPC,  expediting  cases  of Acid  Attack,  and  to  provide  treatment  and  compensation  to  victims.  This  advisory  is available on www.mha.gov.in. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also circulated the Model Poison Rules on 30.8.2013 to all States/UTs for notifying the same to regulate the sale of acid in respective State/UT.

As per Section 166B of IPC (read with Section 357C of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.  P.C.)),  no  acid  attack  victim  will  be  denied  treatment  by  any  hospital,  public  or private, under any pretext and erring hospital/ clinic violating the legislative provisions is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or fine or both. Section 357C of Cr. P.C. also provides that free treatment is to be provided to the acid attack victims. Section 357A of Cr. P.C. provides that compensation under Victim Compensation Scheme is to be paid to the victims. Section 357B of Cr. P.C. further provides that compensation payable under section 357A shall be in addition to the payment of fine to victim.

Further, all the State/Union Territories have notified victim compensation scheme in  their  respective  State/UT.  Under  the  Central  Victim  Compensation  Fund  (CVCF) scheme, financial assistance of Rs.200.00 Crores as one time grant has been released to all  the  States/UTs  in  2016-17,  funded  from  Nirbhaya  Fund,  to  support  their  respective State  Victim  Compensation  Scheme.  On  the  direction  of  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court, National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) prepared a 'Sub-Scheme' namely'Compensation  Scheme  for  Women  Victims/Survivors  of  Sexual  Assault/other Crimes  -  2018'  to  be  included  within  the  existing  Victim  Compensation  Scheme  for women victims  of  sexual  assault  and  other  crimes,  which  also  includes  cases  of  acid attacks.   The  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  directed  the  Government  of  India  as  well  as  all State Governments and the Administrations of the Union Territories to give wide publicity to the Scheme and to implement the Scheme in letter and spirit. The same was forwarded to all   States/UTs for implementation and to give wide publicity.

(d) The Government of India is implementing One Stop Centre (OSC) and 'Universalisation  of Women   Helpline (WHL) schemes.  OSC aims to facilitate women affected by   violence with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, providing legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter etc.'Universalisation of Women Helpline scheme' through the  short  code  181  provides  24  hours  emergency  and  non-emergency  response  to women  affected  by  violence,  both  in  public  and  private  spaces  by  linking  them  with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services etc. WHL also supports women in   distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing   information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country. Further, the Ministry of Women  and Child Development is also administering SwadharGreh  Scheme  for  relief  and  rehabilitation  of  women  in  difficult  circumstances, including the victims of acid attack.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4238 FOR 13.12.2019 ASKED BY SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER REGARDING REHABILITATION OF ACID ATTACK SURVIVORS

State/UT-wise Cases Registered (CR), under Acid Attack under Crime against Women during 2015-2016

| SL    | State/UT          |   2015 |   2016 |   2017 |
|-------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh    |     11 |      3 |      2 |
| 2     | Arunachal Pradesh |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 3     | Assam             |      1 |      8 |      3 |
| 4     | Bihar             |      5 |      2 |      4 |
| 5     | Chhattisgarh      |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 6     | Goa               |      0 |      1 |      0 |
| 7     | Gujarat           |      3 |      6 |      4 |
| 8     | Haryana           |      3 |      8 |      4 |
| 9     | Himachal Pradesh  |      1 |      0 |      2 |
| 10    | Jammu &Kashmir    |      0 |      0 |      1 |
| 11    | Jharkhand         |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 12    | Karnataka         |      1 |      2 |      2 |
| 13    | Kerala            |      5 |      9 |      9 |
| 14    | Madhya Pradesh    |      5 |      4 |      5 |
| 15    | Maharashtra       |      6 |      2 |      2 |
| 16    | Manipur           |      0 |      0 |      1 |
| 17    | Meghalaya         |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 18    | Mizoram           |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 19    | Nagaland          |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 20    | Odisha            |      5 |     12 |     11 |
| 21    | Punjab            |      2 |      5 |      4 |
| 22    | Rajasthan         |      0 |      2 |      3 |
| 23    | Sikkim            |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 24    | Tamil Nadu        |      7 |      1 |      3 |
| 25    | Telangana         |      1 |      0 |      1 |
| 26    | Tripura           |      0 |      1 |      0 |
| 27    | Uttar Pradesh     |     51 |     44 |     41 |
| 28    | Uttarakhand       |      0 |      0 |      3 |
| 29    | West Bengal       |     20 |     40 |     35 |
| 30    | A &NIslands       |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 31    | Chandigarh        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 32    | D&N Haveli        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 33    | Daman &Diu        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 34    | Delhi UT          |     13 |     10 |      8 |
| 35    | Lakshadweep       |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 36    | Puducherry        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL             |    140 |    160 |    148 |

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