Recently, city court sentenced a man who threw acid at his wife to life imprisonment, the second harshest punishment the law of the land prescribes for atrocious crimes.
The judgment seems to indicate a strict stand against acid attacks in the state. Statistics only confirm this: From being a state with one of the highest incidence of acid attacks in the country, Karnataka has at present become one of the states with the lowest number of such cases.
Six cases of acid attacks were reported in the state in 2010. The number reduced to 3 and 2 in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Andhra Pradesh and Punjab which reported six and eight cases respectively in 2010 showed no significant diminution.
According to a law commission report submitted to the Supreme Court in 2009, Karnataka reported 60 acid-attack cases in 10 years ending with 2007. Senior police officers said in a provisional report that only two acid-attack cases were reported last year. “We are still compiling the statewide figures,” an officer said.
Haseena Hussain, a 33-year-old victim, who is at the forefront of campaigns against acid attacks in the state, said “Punishing the acid attacker is only one part of it. What is important is that people should realize women are not commodities who can be abused. Unless we are able to create a society where they are respected, the struggle against such crimes will have to continue.”
The number of such attacks coming down might be good news but there is a need for zero tolerance towards this heinous crime, said Haseena.
Pramila Nesargi, senior counsel, said the authorities should not rest till acid attacks completely end. “The fact is that acid is still easily available in the market. This is a sign that the state has a long way to go in ensuring zero acid attacks,” she said.