Centre Will Consider Taking Legislative Steps To Protect Women Forced To Consume Acid : Solicitor General Assures Supreme Court

The Solicitor General of India assured the Supreme Court on Thursday that the Union Government will consider making legislative amendments to ensure that women who were forced to drink acid and suffered severe internal injuries are brought within the protection framework of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition filed by Shaheen Malik, an acid-attack survivor, seeking recognition and statutory protection for victims who were compelled to consume acid. Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, “acid attack victims” are presently defined in terms of “disfigurement” caused by throwing acid or corrosive substances. The petitioner argued that victims who are forced to ingest acid often show no external disfigurement but endure irreversible injuries to the food pipe and gastrointestinal system, leaving them with lifelong suffering far more debilitating than visible scars.Expressing shock over the existence of such cases, the CJI remarked that men who force women to drink acid are “worse than animals” and must face stringent punishment. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed that the grievance raised was substantial and required urgent attention. The bench observed that the legislative gap could be addressed by inserting a clarification in the statute to explicitly include victims of forced acid consumption.The Court recorded the Solicitor General's assurance in its order, noting: “During the course of the hearing, the learned Solicitor General of India states that all the issues raised in the instant petition will be duly considered by the competent authority and an appropriate policy will be framed. Let the needful be done within six weeks.”At an earlier hearing, the bench had directed all High Courts to submit data regarding the pendency of acid-attack cases in their jurisdictions. The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has now filed its compliance report. The Supreme Court requested the High Court to issue necessary instructions to prioritise completion of trial in all five pending cases, subject to other matters involving grave offences.The bench also issued notice to all States and Union Territories through their respective standing counsel, returnable on January 27, 2026, and directed the Registry to circulate a copy of the petition to all standing counsel.Cases involving women being forced to drink acid have repeatedly surfaced across country. Survivors' accounts recorded by support groups and medical institutions show that such assaults often arise in contexts of domestic abuse, intimate-partner violence, dowry disputes or retaliation for resisting harassment. Because these attacks frequently leave no external disfigurement, they are under-documented in official statistics and often misclassified, even though the internal injuries caused to the throat, oesophagus and stomach can be far more severe and life-altering.Case : SHAHEEN MALIK Vs UNION OF INDIA | W.P.(C) No. 1112/2025Click Here To Read/Download Order

Centre Will Consider Taking Legislative Steps To Protect Women Forced To Consume Acid : Solicitor General Assures Supreme Court

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