How is compensation for victims of acid attacks determined: HC asks DSLSA

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the state legal services authority here, DSLSA, how it determines the compensation to be awarded to victims of acid attacks.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani posed the query to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority while hearing a plea by a woman, who claimed to be an acid attack victim, seeking enhancement of the compensation awarded to her.

"How is the compensation determined? Tell us what is the scheme," the court said, while issuing notice to DSLSA and directing it to place on record "the entire policy of compensation in such cases".

The court also issued notice to the Delhi government seeking its stand on the matter and listed the petition for further hearing on September 3.

The woman's petition was first listed before a single judge bench of the high court which declined her plea for enhancement of interim compensation of Rs 25,000, awarded by DSLSA, to Rs 3 lakh.

The single judge in his order of February 26 had said that the woman's statement that acid was poured on her and she was also forced to drink it "does not ring true" as her injuries were superficial in nature.

The court had said "no compensation was required to be paid".

The woman appealed against the February 26 order before the division bench which said that medical evidence indicated there were burn injuries even though the single judge said she was not a victim of an acid attack.

In her appeal, the woman has contended that the compensation granted to acid attack victims was not only for the physical injuries, "but also for the mental harassment and the social stigma she may face throughout her life".