Jobs with the government for victims of acid attacks? The Supreme Court’s prodding of states

On Monday, the Supreme Court requested that all states and union territories develop a program that would give all victims of acid attacks government positions. The states and union territories were urged to develop a program to give the survivors with a subsistence allowance if jobs could not be found.

“All states/Union territories will show cause why a scheme for the rehabilitation of victims of acid attacks through jobs in government departments/agencies has not been formulated,” the bench of the Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said. Adding further, it mentioned, “If there are logistical issues in providing government employment to victims of acid attacks, the state governments could formulate a policy to pay a subsistence allowance to acid attack victims.”

The guidance was given while listening to the story of acid assault survivor Shaheen Malik. Malik stated in her petition that survivors of acid attacks frequently encounter difficulties when opening bank accounts, obtaining Aadhaar cards, registering or updating property, and buying mobile SIM cards. Malik was represented pro bono (free of charge) by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra at the court’s request.

Furthermore, KYC registration issues for survivors of acid attacks were brought up in court. According to reports, KYC registration is extremely tough for survivors because it requires digitally describing pupils, blinking, and fingerprints to confirm life, all of which are frequently unfeasible for victims of acid attacks.

Given their challenges and limitations, a number of survivors of acid attacks have already asked the Supreme Court to direct the Central government to implement an inclusive and alternative digital KYC procedure. The Court highlighted the need for more severe penalties in acid attack cases earlier this year, recommending that the accused’s assets be seized and put up for auction in order to recompense the victims. The observations were made during the same Shaheen Malik plea hearing. Following the trial court’s acquittal of the accused in her case, Malik appealed to the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi’s bench recommended that the Center impose harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of acid attacks because these crimes do not allow for a reformative approach. “We need to take some extraordinary measures. Unless the punishment is painful, these are the kind of cases where reformative theory has no place. Why can’t assets be seized and sold off to compensate victims?” the CJI said.