After reading this article, you will be able to know about the legal provisions relating to the acid attack law in Nepal.
An Acid Attack is the crime of hurting a person by throwing acid on them, administering acid to that person, or doing anything with acid with the intention or knowledge that it would harm the person. An acid attack may result in injuries to a person, in any part of the body, including:
- Permanent or partial damage or deformity to a person
- Burns on any body parts
- Maiming, disfiguration, or any form of disability of a person.
An acid attack means any act of throwing acid or using acid in any form on the victim with the intention of or with the knowledge that such person is likely to cause to the other person permanent or partial damage, deformity, or disfiguration to any part of the body of such person.
Acid throwing, also called an acid attack or vitriol, is a form of violent assault defined as the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another, “with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, or kill. Perpetrators of these attacks throw acid at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones.
The most common types of acid used in these attacks are sulfuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid. The long-term consequences of these attacks may include blindness, as well as permanent scarring of the face and body, along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties.
Acid Attack Law in Nepal
Muluki Criminal Code, 2074
Section 193
- No person shall cause bodily pain to another person by administering acid or any other similar kind of chemical, biological, or toxin substance to, or throwing such substance on, that other person, or by burning, maiming, scarring the body with, or applying to the body such substance, or disfiguring the face or any part of the body of that other person.
- A person who commits the offense referred to in subsection (1) shall be liable, according to the nature of the offense, to a sentence of imprisonment for a term of five to eight years and a fine of one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rupees in the case of disfigurement of the face, and to a sentence of imprisonment for a term of three to five years and a fine of fifty thousand to three hundred thousand rupees in the case of disfigurement of any other organ of the body or bodily pain.
- The amount of fine collected in accordance with subsection (2) shall be paid in whole to the victim as compensation.
Conclusion
Acid attack crime or acid violence is a contemporary, heinous, cruel, and grievous crime that has been growing exponentially over the past few decades. Many people are the victims of this crime around the world. They are subjected to physical and mental trauma, economic deprivation, and violation of their dignity.
Before the Sangita Magar case, crimes relating to acid attack were criminalized as an attempt to murder, and there was no provision for getting any compensation for acid and burn violence. But after the case of Sangita Magar, she demanded an amendment in Nepal\s law on Acid and Burn violence.
The Supreme Court eventually directed the government to provide immediate financial aid. Now, the Muluki Criminal Code, 2074, section 193 deals with the acid attack crime. It prohibits everyone from causing bodily pain to another person by administering acid or a similar kind of toxic substance in a way that would disfigure the face or any part of the body.
According to the acid attack law in Nepal, in case of disfigurement of the face, 5 to 8 years of jail time and a fine of 1 to 5 lakhs. And in case of disfigurement of the organ or bodily pain, 3 to 5 years of jail time and 50000 to 300000. In addition, the punishment of the criminal and compensation to the victim are given according to the nature of the damage the victim has suffered. The acid attack law in Nepal plays a vital role in this regard.
Also Read: Rape Law in Nepal
