Right To Compensation of Acid Attack Victims In India: Constitutional Foundations, Statutory Framework and Judicial Responses | Zenodo Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up Published January 25, 2026 | Version https://socialresearchfoundation.com/new/publish-journal.php?editID=12418 Peer review Open Right To Compensation of Acid Attack Victims In India: Constitutional Foundations, Statutory Framework and Judicial Responses Authors/Creators Vasundhra 1 Show affiliations 1.
School Of Law IGNOU Delhi,India Description Justice R. M. Lodha – Acid Attack as a Crime Against Human Dignity “ Acid attack is one of the most heinous crimes which not only disfigures the victim but also leaves a permanent scar on the victim’s dignity, self-respect and social life.” ( Laxmi v Union of India , (2014) 4 SCC 427) Acid attacks represent one of the most brutal forms of violent crime, primarily targeting women and resulting in permanent physical disfigurement, severe psychological trauma, and long-term social and economic marginalisation of survivors. Beyond the immediate bodily harm, acid violence destroys dignity, identity, and the ability of victims to lead an autonomous and meaningful life, thereby constituting a grave violation of fundamental human rights. In India, the legal response to acid attacks has gradually evolved from an offender-centric criminal justice model to a victim-centric framework that recognises compensation and rehabilitation as enforceable constitutional rights. Drawing strength from Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India , the Supreme Court’s doctrine of public law compensation , Section 357-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 , and its successor Section 396 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 , victim compensation is no longer a matter of State charity or executive discretion. It constitutes a binding constitutional obligation , firmly rooted in the principles of human dignity, equality, and restorative justice , requiring the State to meaningfully rehabilitate victims of crime. [1] Files Right To Compensation of Acid Attack Victims In India.pdf Files (355.7 kB) Name Size Download all Right To Compensation of Acid Attack Victims In India.pdf md5:3ecd0cdc469706755bed7632ec4c52d8 355.7 kB Preview Download Additional details Dates Submitted 2026-01-09 Accepted 2026-01-21 Software Repository URL https://socialresearchfoundation.com/new/publish-journal.php?editID=12418 References [1]. Laxmi v. Union of India, (2014) 4 SCC 427; Parivartan Kendra v. Union of India, (2016) 3 SCC 571. [2]. See discussion of gendered patterns of acid attacks in commentaries on Laxmi v. Union of India, (2014) 4 SCC 427. [3]. Indian Penal Code, 1860, ss. 326-A, 326-B [4]. Rudul Sah v. State of Bihar, (1983) 4 SCC 141 : AIR 1983 SC 1086. [5]. Rudul Sah, (1983) 4 SCC 141; Nilabati Behera, (1993) 2 SCC 746. [6]. supra note 1 [7]. Nilabati Behera @ Lalita Behera v. State of Orissa, (1993) 2 SCC 746 : AIR 1993 SC 1960. [8]. Delhi Domestic Working Women's Forum v. Union of India, (1995) 1 SCC 14. [9]. Nipun Saxena & Anr v. Union of India & Ors, (2019) 2 SCC 703; order dated 11-12-2018 in W.P. (C) No. 565 of 2012. [10]. UN General Assembly, "Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power", GA Res. 40/34, 29 Nov. 1985. [11]. IPC, s. 326-A. [12]. IPC, s. 326-B. [13]. BNS, s. 124 [14]. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, s. 357-A [15]. BNSS, s. 396. [16]. Ministry of Home Affairs, "Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) – Scheme Guidelines", Government of India (Nirbhaya Fund). [17]. Ministry of Home Affairs, Advisory on "Compensation to Victims of Acid Attacks from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF)", 2016. [18]. National Legal Services Authority, "NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks) Scheme, 2016". [19]. National Legal Services Authority, "NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks) Scheme, 2016". [20]. Laxmi v. Union of India, (2014) 4 SCC 427; Parivartan Kendra v. Union of India, (2016) 3 SCC 571. [21]. Ibid. [22]. Ibid. (award of ₹10,00,000 to one survivor). [23]. Ibid. (directions to treat acid attack victims as persons with disability). [24]. Shaheen Malik, W.P. (C) No. 445 of 2015 (SC) (order dated March 2025). [25]. Supreme Court of India, oral observation dated 17 December 2025 (regarding forcible administration of acid constituting attempt to murder), reported in Forcing Victim to Consume Acid Must Be Tried as Attempted Murder, NDTV, available at https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/forcing-victim-to-consume-acid-must-be-tried-as-attempted-murder-top-court [26]. Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2015/2018, notified under s. 357-A CrPC. [27]. Rachna Paul v. Government of NCT of Delhi & Ors, W.P. (C) No. 2804 of 2019, Del HC, judgment dated 06-11-2024. [28]. Ibid. [29]. State v. Afroz @ Sharib & Anr., CRL.A. 273/2014 & CRL.A. 251/2019, Delhi High Court, order dated 2 Apr. 2024 available at https://delhihighcourt.nic.in (last visited on 22 Jan. 2026). [30]. Preeti v. State & Anr., Delhi High Court, order dated December 2024 (Division Bench) (approving and directing implementation of the "Avlamban Fund Scheme, 2024" for acid-attack survivors in the National Capital Territory of Delhi; creation of a ₹10 crore permanent corpus; scheme to be administered by the Principal District & Sessions Judge and applied in an inclusive manner), unreported, available at https://delhihighcourt.nic.in [31]. Amanpreet Kaur, CWP 14446 of 2020 (P&H HC). [32]. Hindustan Times, "Bombay High Court allows acid attack victims to apply for benefits under 2022 compensation scheme, eliminating previous cap", 10 Apr. 2024. [33]. X v. State of Kerala, Crl. Appeal No. 548 of 2022, Neutral Citation 2025:KER:68773 (Ker HC, DB, 25-09-2025). 159 Views 65 Downloads Show more details All versions This version Views Total views 159 159 Downloads Total downloads 65 65 Data volume Total data volume 25.6 MB 25.6 MB More info on how stats are collected.... Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords Acid Attack; Victim Compensation; Right to Life with Dignity; Article 21 of the Constitution; Gender-Based Violence; Victim-Centric Criminal Justice; Section 357-A CrPC and Section 396 BNSS; Victim Compensation Scheme; Central Victim Compensation Fund; Restorative Justice; Judicial Oversight. Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18501737 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18501737) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18501737.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18501737 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18501737"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18501737.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18501737.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18501737 Resource type Peer review Publisher social research foundation Published in Anthology The Research, 10(10), 2026. Languages English Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. 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