Male acid attack survivors lack compensation in India

NEW DELHI: A recent public interest litigation (PIL) in India's Supreme Court highlights the challenges faced by male acid attack survivors in receiving compensation. The case was brought to attention by Laxmi, a well-known survivor, whose story helped raise awareness about the suffering of both women and men attacked by acid. On Thursday, Kavita Wadia, a senior advocate representing the NGO Acid Survivors Sahaas Foundation, informed the Court about delays in compensation payments from the government's victim compensation fund. This fund, established in 2016, is supposed to provide between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh to victims. Wadia revealed that many males have also survived acid attacks, but most have not received any payments. Out of nine documented cases of acid attacks on men, seven have not yet received compensation. The bench, including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, is considering these issues seriously.