Farzana Mumtaz /Rameez Makhdoomi
Acid attack is the most heinous crime against humanity. Acid attacks have been often committed against women to oppress them. Srinagar acid attack recently rattled the whole Kashmir Valley. A 24-year-old girl sustained burn injuries in her face and eyes following an acid attack in Srinagar on 1 February 2022 Tuesday evening. Police sources said a group of persons attacked the girl with acid outside her business unit at Osmania Colony at around 6 pm. The girl, who hails from Eidgah area of downtown Srinagar, was rushed to SMHS hospital.
In a move widely appreciated, The Jammu and Kashmir police said they had arrested three accused and sealed a shop for the illegal sale of acid. After the preliminary investigation and technical analysis, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Superintendent of Police Raja Zuhaib said the victim, who is from Srinagar’s Eidgah area, had rejected the engagement proposal of the accused who started stalking her. “The accused [also from Srinagar] used to work in a medical shop. The swift action by Jammu and Kashmir police against culprits was widely lauded. The attack has once again brought to the fore the open sale of acid in the market. According to the Supreme Court guidelines, the seller and purchaser must have a license, and shops selling acid are mandatorily required to maintain a record of sale and purchase.
The SC also made it compulsory for the shopkeepers to record the reasons for purchase. The court has also banned the selling of acid in any case to a person who is below 18 years. The social and civil circles are saying and demanding that those behind the heinous crime should be given stringent punishment so that such incidents are put to an end. The expert pulse is that acid attacks are a form of violence, in which acid or another corrosive substance is thrown at a person – usually a woman or a girl – with the intention of maiming, torturing, or killing them.
Acid attacks perpetrated against women and girls are used as a means to permanently scar the survivor – they are an extreme form of violence against women and girls. They are used because so much bearing is placed on the physical appearance of women and girls.
It is painful to note that with deep burns and condition worsening by every hour, a team of doctors is struggling to salvage the eyesight of the Srinagar acid attack victim. An uncertain outlook and a long journey – is their description of her present condition.
