The bills committee of parliament had formed a sub-committee to discuss a bill to amend existing acts concerning gender inequality and the ending of violence against women.
The proposed new law will be stringent in case the culprit is found to have damaged someone's face with acid or by burning, or in any other way. However, the punishment is slightly less if the culprit is found to have damaged some other part of the body.
"If anyone is found spraying or damaging someone's face with acid or flammable liquid, the culprit will be imprisoned for five to eight years and fined Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000," reads Article 8 of the proposed law.
According to it, the compensation amount will be given to the victim for medical treatment.
The parliamentary bills committee has already passed the report submitted by the sub-committee and it will be tabled in the upcoming winter session of parliament.
Member of the State Affairs Committee and coordinator of the sub-committee, Rebati Raman Bhandari, informed that they have recommended harsher punishment if the culpirt is found to have injured someone's face with acid.
"Disfigurement of one's face means life-long agony and the culprit should be punished in the most effective way possible," Bhandari said, adding, "The act of burning another person's face is the height of brutality." Prior to the proposed bill, the law was the same for all forms of burnings. Under the Muluki Ain, which is currently being revised, the punishment for acid attackers is just three months in jail.
The bills committee is discussing 32 various acts which are directly related to women. Most of the acts being discussed at the committee are from the Muluki Ain and from acts related to domestic
violence.
"All the existing acts related to women have been bought together to subject them to further discussion and make necessary amendments," informed Bharat Raj Gautam, secretary of the bills committee. Meanwhile, Commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Mohana Ansari has opined that the bill as proposed doesn't address the current demand.
"The minimum imprisonment should be 10 years and the culprits should be punished in such a way that it covers medical treatment for the acid-attack victim," she said.
Ansari added that the state should be more serious while amending laws related to women and make them relevent in the present context.
Related story
District court rules in favor of acid victim Arati Shah
