Acid Attack 'Horrifying' Form of Violence, Says Court

NEW DELHI: A court has sentenced a man to life in prison for throwing acid on his beloved, leading to her death. The court termed acid attack one of the "most horrifying" forms of gender-based violence.

"One of the most horrifying forms of gender-based violence, a growing phenomenon in India, is acid attack. Though acid attack is a crime which can be committed against any man or woman, it has a specific gender dimension in India," said Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar Goel.

Ajay Bharti was convicted and sentenced to life in jail under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and ordered also to pay a fine of 2,000 for throwing acid on his beloved.

The court said Bharti planned and then executed an act of "pure, calculated and deliberate evil".

"He (Bharti) decided to wreck the victim's life by throwing acid on her," the court said, observing that the woman, who was married to someone else and had children, suffered around 40 percent burns.

According to the prosecution, Bharti and the woman were in a relationship, but Bharti suspected that she was also having relations with another man.

He took her to the Japanese Park in Rohini Jan 20, 2006 on the pretext of an outing and poured acid on her and ran away. After a week, the woman died at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

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