'Regulate sale of acid': Attack survivors to R R Patil

New Delhi, June 3: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj has lashed out at the Congress-led Maharashtra government for offering a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the family of an acid attack victim, who died on Saturday.

Ms Swaraj said the compensation "is grossly inadequate" and adds "insult to the injury."

"The acid attack on Preeti Rathi ....and her death... is very painful..... Unfortunately.... the culprit is still at large....Compensation of mere 2 lakh ...by Maharashtra Govt.... is grossly inadequate..... It is adding insult to the injury," Ms Swaraj tweeted.

Acid was thrown on Preeti by some unknown people as she got off the New Delhi-Mumbai Garib Rath Express at Bandra Terminus on May 2 to join her job as a nurse in the army hospital in Mumbai. The attack took place on a bustling railway platform. The platform and the station are covered by at least a dozen cameras and Bandra Terminus has a full-fledged railway police outpost. In spite of that the culprit managed to slip away.

She died in a hospital in Mumbai after an infection spread throughout her body. Preeti had been communicating with her parents by writing messages on pieces of paper after the attack.

Five acid attack survivors along with Preeti's family and members of the NGO, Stop Acid Attacks, met state home minister RR Patil on Sunday and expressed anguish at the easy access to acid in the country.

It has been over a month since the incident but the Railway Police, who have been investigating the case so far, have not been able to trace the people behind the attack. Mr Patil yesterday assured the family of a thorough probe, reported media.

Pragya Singh, representing an NGO called Stop Acid Attacks, told reporters, "RR Patil has assured us that he will set up a committee to look into the issue of regulating acid sale, which will have members from NGOs so that we can make our society safer for women."

Preeti's family demanded a CBI inquiry into her death whereas the NGO asked Patil to regulate the sale of acid and ensure rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. "Patil has promised us that he will form a committee in 15 days to look into the issue," said Alok Dixit, founder of Stop Acid Attacks.

The Supreme Court in March had also asked the Centre to regulate the sale of acid.

OneIndia News