SC bans over-the-counter sale of acid

The Supreme Court Thursday banned over-the-counter sale of acid at retail outlets and ordered a compensation of Rs.3 lakh to be paid by the government to each acid attack victim.

The apex court bench, headed by Justice R.M. Lodha, issued detailed directions for regulating the sale of acid at retail outlets.

The court direction came in the wake of reports of increasing number of acid attacks.

In a direction, the court said the retail outlets having licence to sell acid will maintain a stock register and failing to do so or possessing unaccounted acid will lead to a fine of Rs.50,000.

The court said all the states which already have rules to regulate the sale of acid will reinforce them and those who don't have them will frame them in accordance with the model rules framed by the central government.

The court said the rules should be made stringent as has been spelt out in the model rules framed by the government.