MEERUT: Allahabad high court (HC) on Wednesday slammed the district magistrate of Meerut and UP govt for the “apathetic handling” of a compensation case involving an acid attack survivor, who has been waiting for relief under the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for 11 years.
A two-judge bench comprising Justices Vipin Chandra Dixit and Shekhar B Sarraf said, “The lackadaisical approach of the district magistrate, Meerut, clearly indicates incompetency and a lack of compassion. Authorities are required to fulfil their primary duty to serve the people, especially those disabled by egregious acts of violence.”
In Dec 2013, a woman from Meerut, 18 at the time, had suffered severe burns in an acid attack following a dispute over road construction. The attack left her with 100% disability, affecting her eyes, chest, neck, and face. While state govt granted her Rs 5 lakh compensation in 2016, she has since been struggling to receive an additional Rs 1 lakh from the PM Relief Fund.
“I have been running from pillar to post for the additional compensation, but nothing has happened,” the survivor said.
Shaheen Malik, founder of Brave Souls Foundation, an NGO supporting acid attack survivors, said, “She contacted us last year. We pursued the matter and sent multiple reminders to the authorities, but there was no response. This led us to file a writ petition in the Allahabad high court in Sept.”
The court also noted that despite the Union ministry of home affairs sending a letter to the district magistrate on Sept 3, 2024, seeking a response, no action was taken. The court called this inaction “alarming”, especially in a case which involved an acid attack survivor’s rightful compensation.
To prevent such delays in future, HC ordered the UP govt to issue a circular to all DMs, instructing them to ensure timely compensation. Additionally, it instructed the registrar (compliance) to communicate the order to the state govt’s principal secretary (home).
“With regard to the present case, the district magistrate, Meerut, is directed to ensure compliance with the letter dated Sept 3, 2024, within a period of one week,” the HC order stated. It further instructed the department concerned of the Central govt to “act on a war footing” and process the additional compensation within six weeks of receiving the necessary documents.