In violation of the Supreme Court orders, the government has failed to regulate the sale of acids in the different parts of Srinagar . Residents of Soura told that the acid is being sold openly in the area as there is no check by the law enforcement agency. In last few years, there have been many acid attacks in the Kashmir valley.
Despite that government has failed to check on sale of acid. People said there is no check on the sale of acids. A group resident from Soura while talking said that, acid is on sale openly and you will find it everywhere.” There are no regulations on its sale”, he added. Despite many acid attacks took place in the last few years but the government failed to take any preventive measures.
Another local from Soura while talking to Press Trust of Kashmir said that government should look into the matter and check the sale of acid in valley. On December 11, 2014, a 21-year-old law student was injured after two youth threw acid on her outside her college in Srinagar. The female student was grievously injured in the acid attack when she was on her way to her college.
Earlier on January 2013, a 25-year-old teacher was sprinkled with acid by a mechanic who used to stalk her in Baghat-Barzalla area of Srinagar. After an 11-month trail, the guilty was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment by a court. Earlier, a girl (Romana Javeed) was crushed to death by two youth in the same in the uptown Srinagar. Abdul Majeed, an acid dealer from Soura area of Srinagar told Press Trust of Kashmir that he has maintained records of every customer. “The acid dealers sell acid only to the persons whom they know,” he said and added that sometimes an official from the concerned police station visits his shop to check the records.
“They don’t take the documents with them nor do we submit them,” he said. A police official said although the guidelines were issues several times, but the law enforcement agencies fail to implement them. He said directives were issued several times that no sale of acid over the counters shall be sold in the district unless the seller maintains a log register according the sale of the acid which will contain the details of persons to whom acid is sold and quantity sold. “The log register shall contain the addresses of the person to whom it is sold. All sellers shall sell acid only after the buyer has shown photo ID issued by the government which also has the addresses of the person, Specify the reasons/purpose for procuring acid.
All stocks of acid must be declared by the seller with the concerned SDM within 15 days. The acid shall be stored under the supervision of the person and there shall be compulsory checking of the students/personnel leaving the laboratories/place of storage where acid is used,” the directives reads. When contacted Station house officer (SHO) Soura Syed Ayaiz Rasool refused to comment over the issue.