NEW DELHI: Continuing with its humanitarian approach towards acid attack survivors, the SC on Monday asked the states and Union Territories to explain whether these physically disfigured people can be rehabilitated through preferential employment in govts and PSUs through a policy decision.Dealing with a PIL by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi in its order said, “If they encountered logistic problems with regard to providing for preferential treatment in employment to acid attack victims in govt and PSUs, they should pay a honorarium or subsistence allowance to the needy among them. We are providing one last opportunity to the states and UTs to submit their views.”It asked the govts to submit “brief particulars of each victim of acid attack, their academic qualifications, current employment status, marital status, medical treatment and details of the expenditure incurred or committed to be incurred by the states/UTs on such treatment.”The bench noted that the HCs have already issued instructions to district courts to prioritise acid attack case trials and said the chief justices concerned would apprise respective supervising HC judges to regularly monitor the progress in these trials to ensure their expeditious completion. The petitioner has requested the SC to include the cases of people, who were forcibly ingested acid and other corrosive substances and suffer internal damage to their organs, to be considered as physically disabled persons like those physically scarred by acid attacks.When additional solicitor general Archana Pathak Dave said the govt is deliberating on this issue, the bench said, “BNS equates both acid attack and acid ingestion as similar offences. The same similarity should be introduced in the Rights of People with Disabilities Act.”
