File Affidavit In Compliance Of SC Directions For Treatment Of Acid Attack Victims: Jharkhand HC To State [Read Order]

The Jharkhand High Court has asked the State govt. to file an affidavit within a week regarding compliance of the order passed by the Supreme Court in Laxmi v. Union of India & Ors, whereby directions had been issued to all States /Union Territories to ensure the proper treatment, aftercare and rehabilitation is provided to all the victims of acid attack.

The order comes in view of a writ petition filed by Sonali Mukherjee, an acid attack victim, through Advocate Shadab Ansari, praying for proper treatment and compensation. In this regard, the high court had passed orders on two occasions, asking the State to come up with a stand with respect to the compliance of the aforementioned judgment but, in vain.

In order to ensure accessibility in such cases, the Supreme Court had also asked all the States to take up the matter with all the private hospitals in their respective States to the effect that the private hospitals should not refuse treatment to victims of acid attack and that full treatment should be provided to such victims including medicines, food, bedding and reconstructive surgeries.

Nevertheless, the State of Jharkhand failed to comply with the high court's directions to show compliance of the Supreme Court's orders. Aprajita Bhardwaj, representing the Respondent State, submitted that the previous orders of the high court had been communicated to the concerned competent authorities, but no concrete response had come till date.

Taking a stern view of the State's inaction, Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad gave a last chance to the State govt. to comply with Supreme Court's judgment on the subject and to file an affidavit to that effect by next Friday. He further said that if the State failed to file the affidavit, then the Secretary and Chief Secretary of the State, Social Welfare Department and Deputy Commissioner, Dhanbad will have to remain physically present in the court on the next date of hearing, i.e., September 20.

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