SC asks states, UTs to respond to plea on sufferings of acid attack victims

The Supreme Court Monday granted four weeks to states and UTs as last opportunity to file responses to the PIL relating to sufferings of acid attack victims in the country and questioning the sale of acid in open market.

The top court, which had issued notices to the Centre and all the 29 states and seven union territories on the PIL in February 2018, noted that till now only 13 states and others have filed their responses.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose asked lawyer Anuja Kapur, who has filed the PIL, to compile the details from the affidavits filed so far by the states on the steps taken to help the victims of the acid attacks and regulate the sale of acids in these states.

"Prepare the chart as to which states have followed the guidelines of the Supreme Court and which have not complied," the bench told Kapur.

The PIL has sought a direction to states and UTs for compliance of the guidelines and various laws pertaining to the acid attack victims.