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Synopsis

The State Government of Uttar Pradesh today submitted before the Allahabad High Court at Lucknow Bench that comprehensive assistance has been extended to an acid attack victim from 2013, after which the petitioners in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which had been initiated after the case, expressed their willingness to withdraw the plea. 

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Saurabh Lavania permitted the same, while noting that the issue relating to victims of acid attacks is also under consideration in a separate petition pending before the High Court at Allahabad.

The PIL petition was filed by seven law students in 2014 highlighting a case of an acid attack in Harchandpur area of district Raebareli in 2013. 

The petitioners sought direction to the respondent state authorities to constitute a team of doctors and experts to examine the conditions of acid attack victim and provide free treatment to her. Apart from that, one of the prayers made in the petition related to payment of compensation to the victims of such crime.

The plea stated that Section 357-A of CrPC mandates the State Government to prepare a scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victims or his/her dependents. The said provisions further for a scheme for the rehabilitation of victims and for taking care of medical facilities for such victims, the plea read.

For making available the benefits to the victims, the State Legal Services Authority and District Legal Services Authority were also impleaded in the matter. 

In January 2014, the court had directed the state counsel to seek from the district authorities of district Raebareli as to what medical aid had till date been provided to the victim in the specific case. 

When the case was taken up today, the court was apprised by the State counsel that in compliance of the said direction, the State has filed an affidavit stating that full support was provided to the alleged victim for her medical treatment.

At present, the victim has no objection or complaint against any department, the state counsel informed the court. Moreover, he submitted that in the said case, the police, after investigation, has filed the final report.

In view of this, the counsel for four of the petitioners submitted submitted that he had instructions to not press the present petition any further. Although, three of the petitioners were not present before the bench.

While taking of the submissions made by both the sides, court permitted the petitioners to withdraw the instant petition and disposed of the PIL as withdrawn.

Earlier this month, in a separate PIL that is pending before the Allahabad Bench, the high court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to furnish an affidavit outlining the measures adopted by state authorities to curb the unrestricted sale of acid throughout the state. That PIL has also been filed by six law students studying in different colleges.

Case Title: Vanita Awasthi And Others v. UOI