Make acid seller party in attack case too, says women’s panel

BENGALURU: Despite the 2013 Supreme Court guidelines and Karnataka Poisons Rules 2015, easy availability of acid has proved to be main factor for attacks on women. In order to curtail availability of acid, Women’s Commission chairperson Pramila Naidu has written to the Home department and police to make the person who sold acid party or accused in Aasha’s case.

“We have taken up a suo motu case. Going by the severity of the injuries Aasha has suffered, the accused used a strong acid. Since he is still not caught, the seller of acid is yet to be traced too,” she said.

Sumithra Acharya, an advocate and research consultant at the Centre for Women and Law at National Law School of India University, said, “As per the 2013 SC guidelines and Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015, licensed shopkeepers must sell acid after recording the buyer’s identity card which substantiates legally valid address proof, phone number, quantity of acid taken, after ascertaining the purpose for which it is bought. Those violating can be booked under Section 4, 5 and 6 of the Poisons Act 1919,” she said.