Acid sale regulation: DCW calls DMs meeting on Nov 3

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has called a meeting of all Districts Magistrates (DMs) of the National Capital Territory (NCT) for implementation of the Supreme Court's order on acid sale regulation and recommendations of the commission in this regard.

"The DCW Chairperson wishes to convene a meeting with all District Magistrates/ Deputy Commissioners of Delhi (eleven in all) along with at least one Sub-Divisional Magistrate from each district to discuss the implementation of the orders of the Supreme Court regarding acid sale and also to discuss the recommendations of DCW to regulate the acid sale in Delhi," said Rajesh Kumar, PA to DCW Chairperson.

"The meeting will be held on November 3 at 4 p.m. in the DCW Conference Room at Vikas Bhawan, IP Estate, New Delhi," he added.

The meeting has been called in the backdrop of unregulated acid sale, which is a major cause for continued acid attack against women in India.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2014, Delhi, with 20 incidents of acid attacks figures as the third highest states after West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

The apex court had on July 18, 2013 passed an order in the case of Laxmi vs Union of India that placed stringent restrictions on the acid sale and mandated the maintenance of acid buyers among others.

In pursuance of the SC order, the DCW had directed all DMs in Delhi to furnish information regarding acid sales in their respective jurisdictions, including details of retailers, action taken to regulate acid sales, action taken in adherence to the apex court order as well as details of fines that were collected upon violations for the past two years.

"Based on the data submitted to the DCW by district magistrates, we have found that steps need to be taken to regulate acid sale in Delhi. In this regard the Commission has made recommendations to the Delhi Government regarding the control acid sales in Delhi. The Commission has called a meeting of all DMs in this regard to hold consultations for devising stringent regulation of acid sale in Delhi," said a statement issued by the commission.