Acid Attacks in India

• 07 Jan 2026

For Prelims:  National Crime Records Bureau, National Legal Services Authority, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 

For Mains: Gender-based violence and crimes against women, Criminal justice system reforms and judicial delays

Source: TH 

Why in News?

The acquittal of the accused in the 2009 Shaheen Malik acid attack case highlighted the harsh realities faced by survivors, as her 16-year legal battle exposed serious flaws in investigation, prosecution, and judicial sensitivity in India’s justice system.

Summary

• The Shaheen Malik acid attack case acquittal exposed serious gaps in India’s response to acid violence, including weak investigations, prolonged trials, low conviction rates, poor regulation of acid sale, and delayed compensation, despite strong laws and Supreme Court directions. 
• Ending acid attacks requires strict control of acid sale, faster and sensitised judicial processes, timely compensation, and comprehensive lifelong rehabilitation, with lessons from Bangladesh’s successful prevention model. 

What is an Acid Attack? 

• About: An acid attack involves the deliberate throwing of any corrosive substances such as sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid on a person with the intent to cause harm. Such attacks result in severe burns and permanent disfigurement, particularly of the face, often leading to blindness and long-term physical disability.  
  • Beyond the intense physical pain, survivors suffer deep psychological trauma, social stigma, and isolation.  
  • Many lose their livelihoods and become dependent on lifelong medical care, while also being forced into prolonged legal battles in their pursuit of justice. 
  • Law Commission of India’s 226th Report (2009) recognised acid attacks as crimes causing permanent physical and psychological harm, stressed their gendered nature, and called for distinct penal provisions and rehabilitation support. 
• Victims and Perpetrators: Acid attack victims are predominantly women and young girls, while men are almost always the perpetrators, making it a form of gender-based violence.  
  • A 2024 Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) analysis of Indian cases found that about three-fourths of attacks on women were driven by personal relationship conflicts, with dowry disputes, suspicion of infidelity, and domestic abuse also cited.  
    • In contrast, attacks on men were more often linked to property disputes, professional jealousy, or political rivalry. 
• Menace of Acid Attacks in India:  According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 207 acid attacks were reported in India in 2023, up from 202 in 2022 and 176 in 2021, along with 65 attempted attacks.  
  • The crime remains severely underreported due to stigma, family pressure, and fear of retaliation, with ASTI estimating around 1,000 attacks annually. 
  • West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat were the worst-affected States, where researchers link higher incidence to easy acid availability in industrial regions and weak law enforcement. 

What are the Laws Against Acid Attacks in India? 

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: Acid attacks are now treated as a specific and serious offence under Section 124 of BNS, prescribing a minimum punishment of ten years’ imprisonment, extendable to life, along with a just and reasonable fine to meet the victim’s medical expenses.  
  • The law also penalises attempted acid attacks with five to seven years’ imprisonment and mandates that all public and private hospitals provide free first aid and medical treatment to victims, with denial attracting criminal liability. 
• NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks), Scheme, 2016: Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), through the NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks) Scheme, 2016, provides priority legal aid, support, and assistance to acid attack victims and their heirs. 
• Model Poisons Possession and Sale Rules, 2013: The 2013 Supreme Court (SC) of India order mandated strict regulation of the sale and availability of acid, requiring buyers to produce a photo identity proof and sellers to maintain detailed purchase registers.  
  • Pursuant to this order, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory to all States and framed the Model Poisons Possession and Sale Rules, 2013 under the Poisons Act, 1919, directing States to formulate their own rules since the subject falls within the State domain.  
  • However, despite these directions and model rules, implementation remains weak and uneven across most States, allowing easy access to acid to persist. 

Judicial Precedents  

• Laxmi vs Union of India (2013): The Supreme Court gave acid attacks a specific recognition in criminal law, moving them out of general injury provisions and treating them as a distinct and serious offence. 
  • SC mandated that acid attack survivors are entitled to a minimum compensation of Rs 3 lakh, with Rs 1 lakh payable within 15 days for immediate medical treatment and the remaining Rs 2 lakh within 2 months for aftercare and rehabilitation, including reconstructive surgeries. 
  • It prohibited over-the-counter sale unless the seller maintained a register/logbook recording the buyer’s details and quantity sold.  
• Parivartan Kendra vs Union of India (2015): The Supreme Court flagged poor implementation of acid sale regulations and directed States to ensure effective enforcement and timely compensation for survivors. 
• Justice JS Verma Committee (2013): In the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case, the Justice JS Verma Committee examined structural failures in addressing violence against women and explicitly highlighted acid attacks as a gendered crime.  
  • The Committee recommended stringent punishment, and a national survivor fund for compensation, directly influencing later reforms on acid violence.

What are the Challenges in Providing Justice to Survivors of Acid Attacks in India? 

• Weak Police Investigation: Acid attack cases often suffer from delayed FIRs, poor forensic collection, ignored medical evidence, and failure to trace the source of acid, leading to weak prosecution and acquittals. 
• Chronic Judicial Delays Defeating Justice: Despite acid attacks being treated as grave offences, trials routinely stretch for years.  
  • The 16-year delay in Shaheen Malik’s case shows how procedural delays turn justice into a prolonged ordeal for survivors. 
  • As per the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2023 only 16 convictions and 27 acquittals were recorded out of 703 acid attack cases pending in courts, signalling near-impunity for offenders. 
• Victim-blaming: Survivors frequently face character assassination, intrusive questioning, and lack of gender-sensitive adjudication, which weakens testimony and discourages legal pursuit. 
  • Social stigma, fear of retaliation, and family pressure prevent reporting. While official figures show a few hundred cases annually, independent estimates suggest around 1,000 attacks per year. 
• Poor Enforcement of Acid Sale Regulations: Supreme Court–mandated controls on acid sale remain largely on paper.  
  • Easy access persists, especially in regions with textile, rubber, and chemical industries, enabling repeat offences. 
• Normalization of Out-of-court Settlements: Police and accused often pressure survivors to accept large monetary compensation instead of prosecution, allowing perpetrators to evade criminal accountability. 
• Delayed and Inadequate Victim Compensation: State compensation meant for immediate medical and rehabilitation needs is often released after several years, pushing survivors into financial distress and weakening access to justice. 

How can India Effectively Prevent Acid Attacks and Support Survivors? 

• Stricter Regulation of Acid Sale (Preventive measure): Enforce a comprehensive ban or tighter control on retail acid sale. 
  • Fix administrative accountability of Sub-Divisional Magistrates responsible for monitoring acid sales. 
  • India can draw lessons from Bangladesh’s model of sealing illegal acid-selling shops within 30 days, combined with public awareness campaigns since 2002, which reduced acid attacks from 494 cases to just 13 by 2024, as per the Acid Survivors Foundation. 
• Judicial Sensitisation and Faster Trials (Justice delivery): Mandatory gender-sensitisation training for judges and public prosecutors. Establish fast-track courts for acid attack cases. 
  • Penalise unreasonable judicial delays to improve conviction rates and deterrence. 
• Strengthening Legal and Psychological Support (Survivor-centric justice): Ensure free legal aid, counselling, and hand-holding through the trial process. Reduce pressure on survivors to accept out-of-court settlements. 
  • Modify disability assessment norms under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, so that acid attack victims are not restricted by a rigid 40% disability threshold, but are assessed based on their functional impairment, psychological trauma, and lifelong medical and reconstructive care needs, recognising that burn injuries cannot be measured solely by skin percentage. 
  • Release compensation within months, not years, to enable timely surgeries and treatment. Link compensation directly to medical and rehabilitation needs, not just ex-gratia relief. 
• Long-term Rehabilitation Framework (Sustainable recovery): Implement the Justice JS Verma Committee (2013) recommendations for a national survivor fund to cover lifelong medical care, psychological counselling, education, skill training, and livelihood support.

Conclusion 

The Shaheen Malik case highlights that acid attacks in India persist despite strong laws due to weak enforcement and low conviction rates. Strict regulation of acid sale, fast-track courts, and timely survivor compensation are critical to deterrence. A victim-centric justice and rehabilitation framework is essential to end acid violence.

Drishti Mains Question:

Despite stringent laws, acid attacks continue in India. Examine the institutional and judicial factors responsible for low conviction rates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What legal provision currently governs acid attacks in India?
Acid attacks are covered under Section 124 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, prescribing a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life, along with a fine for medical expenses. 

2. What was the significance ofLaxmi vs Union of India (2013)? 
The Supreme Court recognised acid attacks as a distinct offence, mandated regulation of acid sale, free medical treatment, and minimum compensation of Rs 3 lakh for survivors. 

3. Why are acid attacks underreported in India?
Due to social stigma, fear of retaliation, family pressure, and lack of faith in the justice system; actual cases may be around 1,000 annually, far above official NCRB data. 

4. What support does NALSA provide to acid attack victims?
Under the NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks) Scheme, 2016, victims receive priority legal aid, counselling, and assistance in accessing compensation and rehabilitation.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) 

Mains

Q. We are witnessing increasing instances of sexual violence against women in the country. Despite existing legal provisions against it, the number of such incidences is on the rise. Suggest some innovative measures to tackle this menace. (2014)