DCW calls for ban on retail sale of acid

Reacting to the incident wherein a man allegedly threw acid on his female friend on suspicion that she was talking to some other boy in south-east Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal said that despite Supreme Court orders, acid is easily available over the counter.

‘Easily available’

“It's terrible. Acid attacks are continuing in Delhi. Retail sale of acid should be immediately banned in Delhi. Acid sale needs to be curbed. Will take up matter of non implementation of DCW recommendations of banning retail sale of acid with Govt.[sic]” she tweeted.

Last year, the Commission carried out an exercise wherein its counsellors went around the city to check if acid is easily available. “Our team tried procuring the acid from 30 shops and they got it from 23 of them. There is no regulation on the sale of acid,” said Ms Maliwal. The Commission handed over the list of the 23 shops to the police. “But no action has been taken,” she said.

‘Cops doing nothing’

Even in the last Special Task Force meeting held with the L-G, the matter was taken up and the latter had promised that the recommendations given will be taken up. DCW has recommended that sale of acid should be banned. “There is no point to acid being freely available. But the police is doing nothing in this regard. Not only the perpetrators but even the traders selling acid to them should be put behind bars,” said the DCW chairperson.