PAPER FOR PUBLICATION

TITLE

A STUDY ON IMPORTANCE FORENSIC SICIENCE :ACID ATTACK

NAME OF THE AUTHOR

SINDHUJA

PURSUING 4th YEAR

B.B.A.,LL.B.,(Hons)

NAME OF THE INSTITUTION

SAVEETHA SCHOOL OF LAW

SAVEETHA UNIVERSITY

CHENNAI

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 THE DETERIORATING FACES OF INDIAN WOMEN: ACID ATTACK

The victim should be given a government job and given justice through fast-track court.

-Laxmi Agarwal

INTRODUCTION

The basic purpose of using acid was in metallurgy and neutralization reactions amongst
others. The hydrochloric acid present in the stomach aids in digestion by breaking down large
and complex food molecules. But inappropriate use of acid on human body causes
devastating effect. The term “La Vitrioleuse” was coined in France after a series of 16 acid
attacks against women were reported in 1879. Vitriol use means premeditative act of
throwing acid on a person with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture or kill. Acid attacks
have a prolonged effect that the effected part and mostly in all cases the face becomes
disfigured for lifetime. But the survival rate is high amongst victims of acid attacks. 1 As a
result the victim has to face a numerous physical challenges, which require long term surgical
treatment, as well as mental or psychological challenges, which require devotion of their time
to psychologists and counselors at each level of physical recovery. Acid attacks are
particularly predominant n creating countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia,
Afghanistan, and have as of late surged in India. Another factor that puts casualties at
expanded hazard for an acid strike is their financial status, as those living in destitution will
probably be attacked. Also, every one of the three countries with the most noted occurrence
of acid attacks – Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia – are positioned 93rd, 114th, and 104th,
individually, out of 134 nations on the Global Gender Gap Index, a scale that measures equity
in circumstances amongst men and women in countries.

The most prominent impacts of an acid attack are long lasting substantial distortion. As per
the Acid Survivors Foundation in Pakistan, there is a high survival rate among casualties of
acid attacks. Therefore the casualty is confronted with physical difficulties, which require
long haul surgical treatment, and in addition mental difficulties, which require inside and out
mediation from analysts and instructors at each phase of physical recuperation. These
sweeping consequences for their lives affect their mental, social and financial reasonability in

1
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/delhi-acid-attack-18-yr-old-girl-battles-for-life-
suspect-arrested-117032201458_1.html

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groups. Time is ready for the country to stand up and by and large challenge against the grisly
crime and request model punishment against the attackers.

FORENSIC ROLE

Visakhapatnam: The CCTV film which gave the Vizag police pieces of information about the
acid attack on a city-based pediatrician is of no utilization now as the Forensic Science Lab in
Hyderabad couldn't make out anything from the pictures. Presently, the city police have
summoned a Bhubaneswar based physiotherapist Dr Monalisa Mahapatra, with whom Dr
Balaji Bhushan Patnaik addressed hours previously he was attacked by reprobates. Dr Patnaik
who works in Seven Hills Hospital as an advisor pediatrician was returning home on
September 20, when veiled bicycle borne bastards tossed acid on him and fled from the spot.

In light of call information, the police have scrutinized every one of his companions,
specialists and colleagues working in the city, Odisha and those enlisted in Seven Hills
Hospital.

"We addressed huge numbers of his companions and partners however did not discover
anything. The telephonic discussion between Dr Monalisa and Dr Patnaik insights to some ill
will,'' Deputy Commissioner of police K. Fakirappa said and included that he trusted
something may rise out of her scrutinizing. More groups have been sent and some of them are
enjoying nature in Bhubaneswar, Behrampur and Cuttack where Dr Patnaik did his MBBS
and PG.

"We are yet to discover any piece of information,'' said right hand official of police A.
Narasimha Murthy who has been given finished charge of the examination. The CCTV film
was sent to FSL in Hyderabad however the researchers couldn't make out anything."

Delhi acid attack: 18-yr-old young lady fights forever; suspect captured

A 18-year-old young lady is fighting for her life at AIIMS after she was attacked with acid by
her abandoned sweetheart in southeast Delhi's Sangam Vihar on Wednesday. The attack
occurred around 10:30 am the point at which the young lady was heading off to her office,
scarcely a kilometer from her home. She is experiencing treatment at AIIMS and her
condition is basic. The charged has been captured, police said. "The charged and the young
lady were seeing someone had separated. She was going to get hitched to another person and
it agitate the denounced," said a senior police officer.The casualty's mom told police that her

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little girl came running home, "doused in acid"."Her dupatta had totally been scorched. She
was crying and yelling that acid had entered her stomach," she affirmed. The denounced
tossed acid on her as well as constrained her to drink it, police said. The young lady by one
means or another figured out how to free herself from his grasp and kept running towards
home. She has endured genuine inward wounds and, they said. The casualty's relatives
affirmed the denounced is an alcoholic and they had declined his proposition to wed their
little girl. He is a tailor and used to inconvenience the casualty who works at a shoe gem
gluing manufacturing plant in Sangam Vihar, they charged. The blamed has been captured
and tests for acid, which is utilized for cleaning toilets have been sent to forensic science
research facility for examination, said the officer. Delhi Commission for Women
administrator Swati Maliwal censured the occurrence and said retail offer of acid should be
restricted in the capital. "It's shocking. Acid attacks are proceeding in Delhi. Retail offer of
acid ought to be promptly restricted in Delhi. Acid deal should be controlled. Will take up
matter of non execution of DCW proposals of prohibiting retail offer of acid with Govt.
(sic)," Maliwal said in a progression of tweets.

EFFECT OF ACID ATTACK ON THE HUMAN BODY

The medical impacts are broad since dominant part of acid attacks are pointed towards the
face. As a greater part of acid attacks are gone for the face,several articles completely looked
into the medical ramifications for these casualties. Seriousness of the harm relies upon the
grouping of the acid and the timeframe before the acid is completely washed off with water
or killed with a killing operator. The acid can quickly consume skin, the layer of fat
underneath the skin, and now and again even the fundamental bone. Eyelids and lips might be
totally annihilated, the nose and ears extremely damaged.The Ear ligament is normally
somewhat or completely wrecked which prompts deafness. Eyelids might be scorched off or
disfigured, leaving the eyes to a great degree dry and which may cause visual impairment.
The attack scars can rundown from the button to neck territory, contracting the jaw. Inward
breath of acid vapors more often than not makes respiratory issues. Notwithstanding these
previously mentioned medical impacts, acid attack casualties likewise confront the likelihood
of septicemia, renal disappointment, skin de-pigmentation, and in extreme cases, demise.
Despite the fact that not comprehensive, their discoveries included2

2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_throwing

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  The skull is partly destroyed/ deformed and hair lost.
 Ear cartilage is usually partly or totally destroyed; deafness may occur.
 Eyelids may be burned off or deformed, leaving the eyes extremely dry and prone
to blindness. Acid directly in the eye also damages sight, sometimes causing blindness
in both eyes.
 Nose can become shrunken and deformed; the nostrils may close off completely due
to destroyed cartilage.
 The mouth becomes shrunken and narrow, and it may lose its full range of
Sometimes, the lips may be partly or totally destroyed, exposing the teeth. Eating can
become difficult.
 Scars can run down from the chin to neck area, shrinking the chin and extremely
limiting range of motion in the neck.
 Inhalation of acid vapors usually create respiratory problems, exacerbated
restricted airway pathways (the esophagus and nostrils) in acid patients.

Notwithstanding these previously mentioned medical impacts, acid attack casualties likewise
confront the likelihood of septicemia, renal disappointment, skin de-pigmentation, and even
demise.3

OTHER EFFECTS OF ACID ATTACK

Notwithstanding restorative impact on the human body because of acid attack, it likewise
harms a person both mentally and socially. These are talked about beneath.

Psychological: Acid attack survivors additionally confront numerous psychological wellness

issues upon recuperation. Numerous casualties announced larger amounts of uneasiness,
sadness, brought down confidence and expanded reluctance, both socially and personally.
Acid attack survivors likewise confront numerous psychological well-being issues upon
recuperation. One investigation demonstrated that when contrasted with distributed Western
standards for mental prosperity, non-Caucasian acid attack casualties announced more
elevated amounts of uneasiness, wretchedness, and scored higher on the Derriford appearance
scale, which measures mental pain because of one's anxiety for their appearance. Moreover,
the ladies detailed brought confidence agreeing down to the Rosenberg scale and expanded
reluctance, both by and large and in the social circle.

3
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article.../Talulah-Eve-threatened-ACID-ATTACK.html

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Social: Notwithstanding medicinal and psychological impacts, numerous social ramifications
exist for acid survivors, particularly ladies. For instance, such attacks ordinarily leave
casualties incapacitated somehow, rendering them subject to either their companion or family
for regular exercises, for example, eating and running errands. These conditions are expanded
by the way that numerous acid survivors are not ready to discover appropriate work, because
of debilitated vision and physical impede. This contrarily impacts their monetary
reasonability, causing hardships on the families/life partners that tend to them. Therefore,
separate rates are high, with deserting by spouses found in 25% acid attack cases in Uganda
(contrasted with just 3% of wives surrendering their distorted husbands). Additionally, acid
survivors who are single when attacked in all likelihood progress toward becoming alienated
from society, viably demolishing marriage prospects.4

Inspiration for acid attacks in India reflects those in Bangladesh: 34% of the broke down print
media in India refered to dismissal of marriage or refusal by women of lewd gestures as the
reason for the attack and settlement contradictions have been appeared to goad acid attacks.
Land, property, as well as business question represented 20% of acid ambushes in India from
2002 to 2010. One such episode would be Sonali Mukherjee's situation where the culprits
were allowed safeguard in the wake of being condemned to nine years of Jail.Thereafter,
when her family moved toward High Court, every one of the administrators, and MPs looking
for equity, all she received in kind was confirmations and "that's it". The culprits escaped
sans scot. Without media consideration, an acid attack casualty mopes in agony and
neediness, their families regularly unfit to manage the restorative costs.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation study says that India is the fourth most hazardous place on
the planet for women to live in as women having a place with any class, position or statement
of faith and religion can be casualties of this barbarous type of viciousness and deformation, a
planned crime proposed to execute or injure her for all time and go about as a lesson to "place
her in her place". In India, acid attacks on women who set out to deny a man's proposition of
marriage or requested a separation are a type of requital. The quantity of acid attacks has
been ascending in India and there have been 68 detailed acid attacks in the territory of
Karnataka since 1999. Tom O'Neill of National Geographic detailed that acid attacks are
likewise used to uphold the standing framework in present day India.

4
www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/acid-attacks

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Acid attacks in India, similar to Bangladesh, have a gendered viewpoint to it: investigations
of news reports uncovered no less than 72% of detailed attacks included women. In any case,
dissimilar to Bangladesh, India's rate of compound strike has been expanding in the previous
decade, with a high 27 revealed cases in 2010. By and large, from January 2002 to October
2010, 153 instances of acid ambush were accounted for in Indian print media while 174 legal
cases were accounted for the time of 2000. In any case, researchers feel this is an
underestimation, given that not all attacks are accounted for in the news, nor do all casualties
report the crime to authorities.

AWARENESS IN INDIA

The issue of acid attack is a consuming one and should be tended to on need. The basic man
on the Patna Street says that it is ideal that the Supreme Court has attempted to limit the offer
of acid, however in all actuality it won't transform anything. "I gain my living pitching
weakened acid from way to-entryway with the goal that individuals can clean their toilets,"
Mantu who falcons "home-made latrine cleaner" lets me know. "In the event that this new
law will really be executed in Bihar, I'm improved the situation. As it may be, I acquire about
Rs 100 subsequent to offering no less than 20 bottles. Numerous families utilize this acid
since it is a large portion of the cost of favor can cleaners.'

Kamla Bhasin, the creator and sexual orientation master in her treatise on 'Investigating
manliness' says, "I trust we require a development of men towards child rearing, family unit
work and family kitchens. Give us a chance to give scoops and spoons to our young men so
their hands are not allowed to get firearms; give them kids to take care of and play with so
they have no opportunity to play with death. Make men moms with the goal that they have no
opportunity to be attackers, killers or fear based oppressors. Make them "homemakers" with
the goal that they quit being 'inconvenience producers'; make 'love senses' in them to
suffocate their 'executioner impulses'",5

The Kolkata-based Acid Survivors Foundation India (ASFI) says, in light of an examination,
that the most conspicuous reasons for acid attacks in India are abusive behavior at home,
share requests, conjugal dismissals and doubt of disloyalty. Humanism educator Satish
Deshpande said as of late that Indian men were thinking that its hard to adapt to liberated
women who were seeking after expert life outside the home. "For men whose male centric

5
www.bbc.com/news/uk-41858271

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society supposedly is debilitated and shaky, this new type of women might be an excruciating
incitement," he said. "We should not discuss women in Metro urban communities who are a
risk to male inner self. There are such a large number of episodes from our own particular
towns and towns in Bihar where women confront mishandle and pressure from their spouses
since they have attempted to better their monetary or social status. The man may 'give
consent' for his significant other to join a women's gathering or to finish her training.
However, much of the time, if the lady needs to declare her directly finished her own earned
cash, or take an interest in basic leadership, the spouse doesn't care for it, the father-in-law
won't care for it," Urmila of Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society calls attention to. "What's more,
most savagery, including that of acid attacks, springs from this powerlessness of a few men to
adapt to the autonomous disapproved of lady, be it in the town or in the town."6

PREVENTING FUTURE ATTACKS

Research has incited numerous answers for the expanding rate of acid attacks on the planet.
Numerous nations look to Bangladesh, whose rates of attack have been diminishing, as a
model, after their lead in numerous authoritative changes. Notwithstanding, a few reports
featured the requirement for an expanded, legitimate part of NGOs to offer recovery support
to acid survivors. Moreover, almost all exploration focused on the requirement for stricter
control of acid deals keeping in mind the end goal to battle this social issue.

STRICT LEGISLATION AGAINST THE CRIME

India's best court has decided that experts must direct the offer of acid utilized by abandoned
beaus and others to attack women. The Supreme Court's decision on July 16, 2013 comes
after an especially infamous occurrence in which four sisters endured serious consumes in the
wake of being attacked with acid by two men on a motorbike. An acid called "Tezaab",
which is intended to clean rusted instruments however is regularly utilized as a part of the
attacks, can as of now be purchased over the counter. But the judges said the purchaser of
such acids ought to in future need to give a photograph character card to any retailer when
they make a buy. The retailers must enlist the name and address of the purchaser. Developing
open outrage at the levels of viciousness against women was energized last December by the
shocking group assault of an understudy on a transport in New Delhi, provoking a toughening
of laws on sexual brutality.

6
https://www.theguardian.com › World › UK News

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PROPOSED LAW

The Law Commission, headed by Justice A.R. Lakshmanan, recommended that another
section 326A be added to the IPC against the acid attackers. The proposed Section 326A will
read as takes after:7

(i) Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid,etc – Whoever burns or maims or
disfigures or disables any part or parts of the body of a person or causes grievous hurt by
throwing acid on or administering acid to that person, with the intention of causing or with
the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt, shall be punishable with
imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than 10 years but which may
extend to life and with fine which may extend to rupees ten Lakh provided that any fine
levied under this section shall be given to the person on whom acid has been thrown or
administered.

Classification of offence under section 326 A(i) Minimum Imprisonment of 10 years

extendable up to imprisonment for life and fine. It should be made a cognizable, non-bailable,
non-compoundable offence and triable by Magistrate of the First Class.

(ii) Intentionally throwing or administering acid – Whoever throws acid on, or administers
acid to, any person with the intention of causing burns or maiming or disfiguring or disabling
or causing grievous hurt to that person shall be liable to imprisonment of either description
for a term not less than five years but which may extend to 10 years and with fine which may
extend to Rs. 5 Lakh.

Order of offense under section 326 B: Minimum Imprisonment of five years extendable up to
10 years and fine. It ought to be made a cognizable, non-bailable, non-compoundable offense
and triable by Court of Session.

The Law Commission additionally suggested that in instances of acid attack an assumption
be fused in the Indian Evidence Act as Section 114B. The proposed Section 114B of the
Indian Evidence Act might read as under.

7
Ibid.

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Section 114 B: Presumption as to acid attack – If a person has tossed acid on, or controlled
acid to, someone else the court should assume that such a demonstration has been finished
with the aim of causing, or with the information that such a demonstration is probably going
to cause such hurt or damage as is specified in Section 326 An of the Indian Penal Code.

The Law Commission additionally suggested that a law known as 'Criminal Injuries
Compensation Act' be authorized as a different law by the administration. This law ought to
give both break and last financial remuneration to casualties of specific demonstrations of
brutality like rape, rape, acid attacks, and so forth., and ought to accommodate their
medicinal and different costs identifying with restoration, loss of profit, and so forth. Any pay
officially got by the casualty can be considered while registering pay under this Act. 8

The Law Commission additionally proposed a law known as 'Criminal Injuries Compensation
Act' to be authorized as a different law by the administration. This law expects to give both
between time and last fiscal pay to casualties of specific demonstrations of savagery like
rape, rape, acid attacks, and so forth., and ought to accommodate their medicinal and
different costs identifying with recovery, loss of profit, and so forth. Any pay effectively got
by the casualty can be considered while registering remuneration under this Act.

REGULATIONS OF ACID SALES

A positive connection has been seen between acid attacks and simplicity of acid buy.
Sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acid are most normally utilized and are for the most part
modest and promptly accessible in many occurrences. For instance, frequently acid hurlers
can buy a liter of amassed sulfuric acid at motorbike technician looks for around 40 pennies.
Nitric acid expenses around $1.50 per liter and is accessible for buy at gold or gem retailers,
as polishers by and large utilize it to clean gold and metals. Hydrochloric acid is additionally
utilized for cleaning adornments, and for influencing soy to sauce, beautifying agents, and
conventional medication or amphetamine drugs. Because of such simple entry, numerous
associations require a stricter direction on the acid economy. Particular activities incorporate
required licenses for every single acid dealer, a prohibition on gathered acid in specific
territories, and improved arrangement of observing for acid deals, for example, the need to
record all exchanges including acid. Notwithstanding, a few researchers have cautioned that

8
www.telegraph.co.uk › News

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such stringent control may bring about underground market exchanging of acid, which law
authorizations must remember.

CONCLUSION

Restricting the sale of acid in our nation is not just the solution. The genuine one is for
mothers to ensure that their male children and the female children are dealt with similarly,
additionally the male sex should figure out how to regard the privileges of the inverse. It is
essential to give guiding and therapeutic care to the casualties who are physically deformed
and mentally crushed. The greater part of the cases these casualties are not fortunate fiscally
and unfit to bear the cost of the cost of medicinal treatment. Start of significant restoration
program to take them back to the backbone of the general public alongside monetary help is
essential. For this reason NGOs assume an imperative part and their current exercises in such
manner should be cheered.

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