Severest punishment to acid attack offenders: Punjab CM

While claiming that the Punjab government would come down heavily on those involved in acid attacks in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said the severest punishment would be sought for offenders involved in a recent such attack on a class 12 student in Gurdaspur district.

Condemning the acid attack on the schoolgoing girl in Gurdaspur on Wednesday, Badal announced monetary compensation of Rs.3 lakh for her.

He said the entire expenses on the victim's treatment would be borne by the state government.

The student, Rajinder Kaur, got burn injuries when acid was thrown at her while she was returning home after appearing for her class 12 board examination.

The assailants, who had covered their faces, are yet to be arrested.

"The state government would initiate every step to ensure that exemplary punishment is awarded to the accused involved in such dastardly act.

"Such offenders does not deserve leniency and they would be dealt with as per the law of land by meting out the severest of the severe punishment to them so that it could act as a deterrent for others too," Badal said in a statement here.

The Punjab government has already decided to give a special chance to the girl to appear in class 12 examinations to ensure that her result also declared with the rest of the class.