New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the pendency of acid attack cases across the country and called for more stringent measures, including the attachment of properties of convicts to ensure meaningful compensation to victims. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, while hearing a PIL seeking enforcement of guidelines earlier laid down by the top court, noted the submission that 15 High Courts have so far furnished details of pending acid attack cases.

As per the status report placed before the apex court, Uttar Pradesh alone has 198 pending cases, followed by Gujarat with 114, West Bengal with 60, Bihar with 68 and Maharashtra with 58 cases. In its order, the CJI Kant-led Bench noted that reports from the remaining High Courts are still awaited. “We request the High Courts to consider the desirability of taking a decision for expediting and concluding matters concerning acid attacks in a time-bound manner on an out-of-turn basis,” the Supreme Court said.

During the hearing, the CJI Kant-led Bench made strong oral observations on the need for tougher punitive measures to act as a deterrent. “Why should the assets of the accused not be attached? If a person is found guilty of an acid attack, why should all his immovable assets not be acquired and used to compensate the victim? You have to take some extraordinary punitive measures. Unless the action is so painful, the deterrent theory must be followed here,” the top court observed. It also directed all states and Union Territories to place comprehensive data before it within four weeks, including year-wise incidents of acid attacks, filing of chargesheets, number of cases decided, pendency at the trial stage, and appeals arising out of concluded trials.

The apex court said that states and UTs must also furnish brief particulars of each acid attack victim, including academic qualifications, current employment status, marital status, details of medical treatment, and expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by the government on treatment and rehabilitation. It further directed all State Legal Services Authorities to submit details of schemes, if any, implemented for rehabilitation, compensation and medical aid to acid attack survivors.

The CJI Kant-led Bench also orally suggested that the Union government consider legislative intervention to strengthen the legal framework dealing with acid attack cases. The matter arises out of a PIL in which the apex court had earlier directed all High Courts to furnish details of pending acid attack trials and had sought prioritisation of such cases. The Supreme Court is monitoring the issue to ensure expeditious trials and effective victim compensation for acid attack victims.