Why can't assets be seized? Supreme Court for tougher punishment for acid attacks
India Today
The Supreme Court's observations came while hearing the plea of Shaheen Malik, an acid attack survivor, who challenged a trial court's acquittal of the accused in her case.
The Supreme Court has flagged the need for harsher punishment in acid attack cases, suggesting that the assets of the accused should be attached and auctioned off to compensate the victims. The observations came while hearing the plea of Shaheen Malik, an acid attack survivor, who approached the Supreme Court after a trial court acquitted the accused in her case.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi suggested that the Centre should make the punishment stringent for acid attack accused, as such crimes leave no room for a reformative approach.
"We need to have some extraordinary measures. Unless the punishment is painful, these are the kind of cases where reformative theory has no place. Why can't assets be seized and sold off to compensate victims?" the CJI said.
The top court also suggested a reversal of the burden of proof in acid attack cases, similar to those applicable to dowry death offences.
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