Acid attacks: Help male victims too, says HC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today took a serious view of the Punjab Government’s action of granting monthly financial assistance of Rs 8,000 only to women victims of acid attacks.

Taking up a contempt petition filed through advocate HC Arora against the Punjab Chief Secretary, Justice Daya Chaudhary also directed the Punjab and Haryana Governments to amend their notifications for covering men acid attack victims as well.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, Justice Chaudhary impleaded the Haryana Government as a party. The order came after the Bench was told that Haryana, too, had confined its scheme to women victims.

The High Court has already made it clear that it intends to put on fast track acid attack cases pending in lower courts. A petition was initially filed by the Poor Patients Relief Society through its secretary HC Arora. The petitioner moved court after Mandeep Kaur and her father Shamsher Singh came under acid attack on July 11, 2014. They were on their way to the Moga District Courts to attend the hearing of a case when the attack took place.

During the course of the PIL’s hearing, Haryana offered monthly financial assistance of Rs 8,000 to acid attack victims. Haryana said it would give a monthly financial assistance of Rs 8,000 to acid victims falling within the definition of “disability” under Section 2(i) of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights of Full Participation) Act.

The Bench was also told that the victims would be given preference in allotment of fair price shops by the Haryana Food and Supply Department.

‘No gender bias’ 
Taking up a contempt petition filed through advocate HC Arora against the Punjab Chief Secretary, Justice Daya Chaudhary directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to amend their notifications for covering men acid attack victims as well