Acid burn victim gets justice after 10 years

KANPUR - Nearly a decade after the son of a bureaucrat threw acid on her face, she at last got justice from a local court in this Uttar Pradesh city that pronounced a 10-year jail term for the accused.

Holding Abhinav, the son of then deputy sales tax commissioner Rajesh Pratap Misra, “guilty”, Kanpur Fast Track Court Judge Pramod Kumar pronounced the verdict in the open court here Wednesday.

While handing down a 10-year imprisonment for Abhinav, the court also slapped a fine of Rs 5.lakh on him.

Abhinav’s accomplice Vipin Misra and his car driver Rajesh were awarded eight years’ imprisonment together with a fine of Rs.2 lakh each.

Fifty percent of the fine would have to be paid to victim Arti Srivastava, the court ruled.

Angered over his advances being rejected by her, Abhinav doused Arti’s face with acid, while she was returning from a coaching institute in Nawabganj locality June 27, 2000.

A case was registered against Abhinav that very night.

However, the Allahabad High Court stayed the proceedings of the trial court June 2, 2004.

After struggling for five years, the victim succeeded in getting the stay vacated and this time the high court also directed the trial court to expedite the proceedings following which the final verdict came from a fast track court.

Arti, who had since shifted with her retired professor father and family to Gwalior, was present in the court at the time the court made its pronouncement.

“I do welcome the judgment, but I strongly feel that the punishment was not enough,” she told IANS.

“I will make an appeal to the high court to seek a life term for Abhinav,” she added.