Acid Attack on Women: A Critical Appraisal of the Indian Legal Response

Over the last decade India has been witnessing an alarming growth of acid attack and the women who survive it, is forced to live as an outcast. Acid violence is a heinous crime committed usually against women, with an intention to disfigure or kill her. These gruesome crime footprints the victim miserable living condition or even it results in death. Most of the women restrict themselves to their homes to avoid public appearance. It can also be called as the gender based violence against women. The easy availability of inexpensive acid makes the perpetrators to use it as an ideal weapon against the women. With the passing of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, and the guidelines by the Supreme Court of India, the regulations have become stricter. But the various surveys showed 300% increase in the total number of acid attack cases reported. This paper deals with the horrendous effects that acid attacks have on the victims- physically, psychologically, socially and economically. The author aims to investigate the causes of acid attacks as well as their consequences which have become serious threat of our society. This paper throws light upon the feasibility of legislative, judicial and NGOs actions towards combating the abuses of acid attack and examines the contemporary laws governing acid attacks. This research study also analyzes the international scenario of acid attacks and critically evaluates the implication of the acid attack on the gender status. Accordingly, the topic has been dealt and deliberated on the strength of doctrinal methodology whereby both the primary and secondary data has been used.