Acid Attack Victims

The Delhi government is working on schemes to provide lifelong financial assistance to acid attack survivors for medical procedures, and subsidised transport facilities to school students with benchmark disabilities, officials said on Thursday. The government has also prepared a cabinet note on an assistance scheme for persons with benchmark disabilities who have high support needs, to engage care givers, they said. A person is said to have a benchmark disability if the disability level is 40 per cent or higher. In a recent meeting chaired by Social Welfare Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, officers of the department informed him that a draft scheme of transport subsidy for Delhi school students with benchmark disabilities is under final stages of development, the officials said. It will be soon placed before the minister for his approval, they said. During the meeting, Bharadwaj pointed out that under the current welfare scheme, acid attack survivors are eligible for monthly disability

The Manipur government has approved a compensation scheme for women victims of sexual assault and other crimes, an official order said. The order issued by Commissioner (Home) T Ranjit Singh on September 14 said that the state government has approved the 'Manipur Compensation Scheme for women victims/survivors of sexual assault/other crimes, 2023'. Under the scheme gang rape victims will be entitled to a minimum amount of Rs 5 lakh to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh while rape victims will get Rs 4-7 lakh. Victims of acid attack with face disfigurement will get Rs 7-8 lakh. The order said in case of loss of life or enforced disappearance of women the compensation amount will be Rs 5-10 lakh. The scheme shall apply to victims and their dependents who have suffered loss, or injury as the case may be, as a result of the offence committed and who require rehabilitation. It said compensation as decided by the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MALSA) or District Legal Services Authority

The Delhi High Court has upheld the life-term imprisonment of two men in a 2014 acid attack case and awarded Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the woman victim. Dismissing the appeal against a trial court's verdict, it said under the Indian Penal Code the word "acid" does not only refer to substances which are scientifically termed as acids but include all those which have acidic or corrosive or burning nature and are capable of causing scarring or disfigurement and temporary or permanent disability. The High Court also upheld the sentence of 10-year rigorous imprisonment imposed upon another accused in the case. Taking note of the gravity of the offence committed in Mathura and its extensive impact on the life and livelihood of a victim, the bench headed by Justice Mukta Gupta directed the fine of Rs 2.5 lakh imposed on the convicts by the trial court shall be fully given to the victim. "Depending on what is finally paid as fine by the appellants and compensation received by the victim

Additional Civil Judge Pankaj Sharma said it was necessary that advocate Aparna Bhat's contribution is acknowledged

In case of direct recruitment, four per cent of the total number of vacancies, up from the existing three per cent, in groups A, B and C shall be reserved for people with benchmark disabilities

Vacancies earmarked will be for the posts of office assistants to IAS officers