The Uttarakhand High Court has allowed the writ petition filed by an acid attack survivor, while directing the state government to pay a sum of Rs 35,00,000 to the petitioner on account of breach of Fundamental Right to live a dignified life under the Constitution.
A Single Bench of Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra said that keeping in view all the aspects, the Court has come to the conclusion that amount of Rs 35,00,000 would be adequate compensation to the petitioner in addition to the amount already paid to her.
The Court also said that the petitioner should also be given some vocational training if she is willing to undertake.
It was told to the Court that the petitioner has completed her Post Graduation and Diploma in Mass Communication and now doing a job with Flipkart.
The Court has also instructed the State Government to provide free medical treatment to the petitioner, as the petitioner has to undergo further surgeries, which require skin grafting.
In case, hospitals in the State of Uttarakhand, do not have proper technology, equipments or doctors to carry out the surgeries that is require to be meted out to her, then the State of Uttarakhand shall be under an obligation to get her treated in any hospital at New Delhi or in PGI, Chandigarh.
The judge said that the expenses of the petitioner including the operation fee, travelling, and stay will be borne by the State of Uttarakhand and the Member Secretary, UKSLSA is directed to release and transfer a sum of Rs. 35,00,000/- in the name of the petitioner through RTGS / NEFT after the expiry of the limitation for filing the intra court appeal.
The survivor was represented by Advocate Snigdha Tiwari while the additional CSC Ajay Singh Bisht appeared for the respondent/ State.
The petitioner being an acid attack survivor has asked for Rs 50,00,000 compensation for the losses suffered.
She also prayed for the issuance of a writ of Mandamus for making a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme and to pay directly to the Hospitals for future expenses to be incurred by her in medical procedures that might be taken.