Patna, April 2: A Muzaffarpur court on Wednesday sent a septuagenarian to 10-year imprisonment for throwing acid on a woman of Mal Toli Koeli Bharao village, around 100km north from here.
The 70-year-old convict - Ramakant Rai - had thrown acid on the woman on July 28, 2013. Additional district and sessions judge (X) of Muzaffarpur Tarun Kumar Singh found him guilty under sections 326A-B of the Indian Penal Code.
Besides imprisonment, a fine of Rs 30,000 was imposed on Rai - also a resident of Mal Toli Koeli Bharao village under the jurisdiction of Minapur police station in Muzaffarpur. Two-thirds of the penalty would be paid to the victim, who had suffered severe burn injuries on her face and lost sight in her right eye.
This is perhaps the first conviction in a case of acid attack in Bihar after the provisions of Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 came into force. According to the new law (amended law), sections 326A and 326B have to be slapped on any acid attack accused to ensure harsher punishment.
In July 2013, the Supreme Court had directed the state governments and the Union Territories to frame rules to stop counter sale of acid. Subsequently, the copies of the apex court order were circulated among all the district functionaries and they were asked to adhere to it.
Additional public persecutor (APP) Rameshwar Sah said the prosecution presented clinching evidence against Rai in the court, which led to his conviction. Septuagenarian Rai was arrested after the victim lodged a complaint with the Minapur police station on July 29, 2014.
Hailing the court order, the victim said she was glad to know that the perpetrator of the crime was punished by the court of law. "I would have been happier had the offender of such a heinous crime been awarded life term," she told The Telegraph over phone from the Muzaffarpur court.
She demanded that acid attack cases be tried in fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice to the victims. "Several acid attack survivors are fighting for justice and can be spotted running from pillar to post to get justice," she added.
Criminal investigation department's additional director-general (weaker sections) Arvind Pandey said the state government had already announced to provide adequate compensation to the victims of acid attack. "The investigating officers have also been asked to invoke relevant sections of the IPC, especially 326A and 326B, which talk about harsher punishment for the accused," he added.
He revealed that the government had made provisions for medical assistance to victims and certain amendments were made in the existing rules (read IPC) in 2013 to deal with cases of acid attacks.
A practising lawyer of the Patna High Court, Rajiv Ranjan Kumar Pandey, said the police must slap Section 326A of the IPC against the accused of acid attack, if not invoked already.
"The amended IPC sections 326A and 326B, which deal with acid attacks, define the term 'acid' as any substance which has acidic or corrosive character or burning nature and is capable of causing bodily injury leading to scars, disfigurement, temporary or permanent disability," he clarified.
Pandey said the minimum punishment prescribed for the offenders is 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and the maximum is life imprisonment.
Last year, Bihar recorded 13 acid attacks.
