MULTAN, June 28th: In
view of growing incidents of acid throwing and killing a number of people
mostly women, District Coordination Officer Multan Nadir Chattha, exercising
his power asDistrict Magistrate has prohibited the sale and storage of acids in
Multan district under section 144 Cr.PC. While local magistrate has sealed six
shops of acids. Now only authorised dealers/shopkeepers can store and sale the
acids and they would maintain the register of buyers. "Over-the-counter
sale of acid is completely prohibited unless the seller maintains a
log/register recording ... the details of the person(s) to whom acid (s) is/are
sold, the quantity sold and shall contain the address of the person to whom it
is sold," the DCO ordered. Directing that no acid would be sold to any
person below the age of 18 years, the notification said that the seller would
declare all the stock available with him to the local magistrate .Indian Supreme court has imposed ban in July 18,2013
New Delhi:Jul 18, 2013:
The Supreme Court on Thursday passed an interim order on regulating the sale of
acid at retail outlets in market across the country.
The court banned over-the-counter
sale of acid at retail outlets and ordered a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to be
paid by the state governments to each acid attack victim.
An apex court bench
headed by Justice RM Lodha said an acid attack victim would be paid Rs 1 lakh
within 15 days of the incident and the remaining Rs 2 lakh would be given
within two months for treatment.
The court issued
detailed directions for regulating the sale of acid at retail outlets.
"Over-the-counter
sale of acid is completely prohibited unless the seller maintains a
log/register recording ... the details of the person(s) to whom acid (s) is/are
sold, the quantity sold and shall contain the address of the person to whom it
is sold," the court said in an interim order.
The court said that the
violation of its directions "shall attract prosecution under the Poisons
Act, 1919" and "the SDM shall be vested with the responsibility of
fining the violators and initiating prosecution".
The court direction came
on a public interest litigation filed by acid attack victim Laxmi seeking the
regulation of the sale of acid.
The petitioner also
sought provision for treatment and rehabilitation and compensation for acid
attack victims.
Directing that no acid
would be sold to any person below the age of 18 years, the court said that the
seller would declare all the stock available with him to the sub-divisional
magistrate (SDM) within 15 days from the date of the notification of the rules
by the state governments.
Retail outlets having
licence to sell acid will maintain a stock register and failing to do so or
possessing unaccounted acid will lead to a fine of Rs 50,000, the court said.
The court said all the
states which already have rules to regulate the sale of acid will reinforce
them and those who don`t have them will frame them within three months in
accordance with the model rules framed by the central government.
The court said the rules
should be made stringent as has been spelt out in the model rules framed by the
government.
The SC has asked medical
and educational institutions requiring acid in bulk to take permission of
Sub-Divisional Magistrate before making the purchase.
These institutions will
delegate a person accountable for the possession and safe upkeep of acid and
"there shall be compulsory checking of students leaving the laboratories
where acid is used", the court said.
The judges said their
order "shall be translated into vernacular languages and publicised in
local newspapers and television channels".
After being slammed by
the Supreme Court, the government has framed the model rules to regulate the
sale of acid throughout the country through retail outlets.
The model rules framed
by the government seek to regulate the grant of licences and also impose
restrictions on the people to whom it could be sold.
They also mandate
maintenance of proper registers recording the sale of acid and by identifying
the buyer to keep track of all sales.
According to the rules,
no person, not exempted under the provision of the Poison Act would engage in
the sale of or possession of the poison (acid).
They provide for the
duration of licence, discretion of licensing authority, termination of licence,
disposal of stocks on termination, revocation or cancellation of license, the
person or firm whom license could be granted etc.
A licence holder shall
not sell any poison to any person, unless the later is personally known to him
or identified to his satisfaction by way of identity proof.