Guwahati: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) initiated an investigation into the acid incident in Delhi and sought detailed reports from the Chief Secretary of the Government and Police Commissioner within four weeks.
“NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of the media reports that two masked men threw acid on a 17-year-old girl on her way to school in West Delhi on December 14, 2022. Reportedly, the victim was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital ICU,” an official statement said.
According to the declaration, the public official’s failure to control the sale of acid(s) within whose territorial jurisdiction the occurrence occurred amounts to “culpable carelessness” at least on the surface.
“Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Commissioner of Police, and the Member Secretary, State Legal Services Authorities calling for detailed specific reports within four weeks,” it said.
“The Chief Secretary is expected to inform regarding the rehabilitation, counseling, compensation, free-of-cost treatment, including plastic surgery of the victim if any, and the other measures, which are necessary to be taken,” it added.
According to the statement, the report must also include information about how acid was sold in the specific instance using an e-wallet as well as the individuals in charge of this illegal drug sale.
“The report should also specifically mention the compensation amount paid or to be paid as per the guidelines of the Victim Compensation Scheme,” it said.
In accordance with the statement, the Commissioner of Police has been requested to submit the specifics of the FIR filed in the case, which should include the criminal offences committed, the status of the investigation, the larger conspiracy at play in the current case, and the information regarding the accused individuals who were arrested.
“The report must also mention the preventive actions, initiated by Delhi Police, to inhibit such reoccurrence of acid attacks in Delhi,” it said.
“The Member Secretary, State Legal Services Authority, Delhi, should mention the steps taken regarding the Victim Compensation Scheme and its publicity so that acid attack victim(s) in the National Capital may seek benefits under it. The report must also contain the actual compensation paid in the instant case under the scheme of SLSA, Delhi in the case of an acid attack,” the statement added.