2014 Acid Attack in Kashmir: A Devastating Reality

After 9 long years court announces historic judgment, awards lifer to convicted duo

On 11 December 2014, a young law student was grievously injured in an acid attack near Nowshera, an area located in Srinagar outskirts while she was on her way to her college.

It took 9 long years for the court to announce the historic judgment, where both the convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Shocking 2014 Acid Attack in Kashmir

Back in 2014, the incident came as a shocker for the people in the region and the issue expectedly received widespread condemnation from people cutting across different sections of life. A case was instantly filed and the accused duo arrested within a fortnight of the horrifying incident.

After remaining in oblivion from the public eye for almost nine years, the horrific incident came into the light in the public domain again after a Srinagar court on Tuesday handed down life imprisonment to two convicted individuals, found guilty of orchestrating the gruesome acid attack on Saima (name changed)

The vicious assault on Saima (name changed) in 2014, the horrific incident shattered her life and caused her immense physical and emotional pain.

Traumatic journey seeking justice

In a brief interview with Saima, who now is a practicing lawyer at the Lower Court in Srinagar told Ground Report that the journey over the past 9 years has been highly traumatic, painful, but nonetheless equally filled with a courage to “fight back” to seek justice.

“I am happy, I have got justice as both the criminals have been awarded life imprisonment, but I wish if the law allows me I would just pour in a single drop of the same acid they threw on my face to make them feel the same pain I have gone through over these years”, says Saima.

Saima says, soon after the announcement of the judgment by the court in the case, the only thing she remembers is that she and her family were inconsolably in tears – as the entire 9-year traumatic phase made a quick recap of happenings she and her family went through.

“As soon as the judge announced judgment in the case that both the accused are awarded life sentences, I looked at my father who with moist eyes started crying. This horrific incident gave us pain in all ways, beyond emotionally and psychologically there was a huge monetary burden for my treatment which we are yet to clear as we had loaned some of the amounts”, she says.

Bravery fuels justice for victim

Representing acid attack victim Saima, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Abdul Aziz Teli told Ground Report that taking this case to its conclusion would not have been possible without the bravery and resilience shown by the victim and her family.

“It took us around 9 years to get justice in the case with a maximum punishment in this heinous crime, but to take it to a conclusion, a committed resilience and bravery was reflected by this girl. I did not charge even a single penny for this case as I took this case as personal, considering the victim as my own daughter”, says a buoyed Teli.

“Though the judgment has done justice as per the existing laws, but that the horrific incident has left behind a series of scars on her and her family, saying that the wounds inflicted upon her are still afresh”, says Saima.

“Over these years I have gone through almost 27 surgeries and have lost vision in one of my eyes’, no one can imagine what I and my family have gone through”, says Saima adding my father suffered a heart attack during this period, but I never gave up and fought to seek justice. 

Saima says while she was sure of getting justice, it was her lawyer who fought her case not as a client but treated her as a daughter throughout the court proceedings over these years.

Seconding the statement of her lawyer, Saima said he did not charge even a single penny for the case.

Moving forward, excelling, aiding justice

Stating that she is just moving on in her life with no greater plans other than to excel in her law field and that she plans that she too should come helpful to others in seeking justice.

Urging female folk to speak up against the crimes perpetrated on them, Saima says that those who feel threatened of becoming victims of harassment, molestation, eve teasing or any crime should never remain silent and instead must speak up against the crime and report such incidents with police before it is too late.

Back with the case, the Principal Sessions Judge, Srinagar, sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rupees 5 lakh each on them.

Earlier last week, the court convicted Irshad Amin Wani and Mohammed Umar after they were found guilty of the offenses punishable under Section 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by the use of acid, etc.), Section 120-B (Punishment for criminal conspiracy) and Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense, or giving false evidence to screen offender).

Photos reveal irreversible damage, trauma

Principal Sessions Judge presiding over the case emphasized that this act ‘was not a spontaneous outburst but a meticulously planned and executed assault’. The court further pointed at the victim's photographs before and after the attack that poignantly illustrated the extent of the harm inflicted and observed that the consequences of the acid attack were not just physical but also left deep emotional scars on the survivor.

“These photographs of the victim before and after the incident speak to the extent of damage caused by the horrific act of the convicts on the face of the victim by using a corrosive substance. It has not only caused physical trauma to the victim but mental trauma as well. Her photographs after the incident but, before repairs by skin grafting, reveal that the impact of the corrosive substance was such that the bones of her head, nose, around right eye and part of her right face had got exposed. Despite 28 surgeries she has undergone, as on date, the damage has not been repaired nor there are chances of its full repair”, the court said.

Dealing with the argument that the convicts are young, so a lenient view may be taken while awarding sentences to them so that they are reformed and brought back to society, the court said that the ‘convicts deserved no leniency due to the premeditated nature of their crime.’

“The court understands the potential for rehabilitation and personal growth of the young convicts. However, this understanding has to be balanced against the irreversible damage inflicted by them upon the victim. The scars left on the face and psyche of the victim would serve as a haunting reminder of the brutal act, forever altering the trajectory of her life”, Court said.

Survived pain, surgery

Stating that the consequences of acid attacks were both physical and psychological, Saima says that she survived excruciating pain, which required multiple surgeries, and faced long-term medical complications.

She says that post the gruesome acid attack her life was irrevocably altered but she fought back to regain her sense of self and rebuild her shattered life.

The historic decision by the Court to sentence the accused duo for life imprisonment has set a strong precedent for the other courts to deal with such cases and at the same it is expected to come as a deterrent for others who might have at any point of time mulled to act in such horrifying way.

Keep Reading

• As land bleeds, the struggle for ‘Jal Jungle Jameen’ in Gadchiroli continues
• Why are climate activists opposing Adani Group’s Kattupalli port project?
• Not LPG, Through Solar-Powered Cooking, India Can Achieve Net Zero!
• Mhow: Retired Army Lt. Col. selling sun-dried vegetables to the US!

Follow Ground Report for Climate Change and Under-Reported issues in India. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Koo App, Instagram, Whatsapp and YouTube. Write us on [email protected]