Dressed up to go to a cousin’s wedding, a teen, her younger sister, and her father were waiting for her mother outside their West Delhi house on the evening of February 18, 2017, to head out. Suddenly, a man, who was scolded by the teen’s mother less than an hour ago for lurking around their home, emerged and splashed acid on the three family members. The teen suffered around 40% burns on her face and arms. Her sister suffered 20% burns, and their father suffered 10% burns. As the girls screamed in pain, their father ran behind the man.
The accused, Raghav Mukhiya, was arrested the next day. The family claimed they had never seen him before the day of the incident. Eight years later, the family can look forward to a secure future after waging an uphill battle to get justice, albeit with some support along the way.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, a Delhi court on March 5 ordered the District Legal Services Authority of West District, Delhi, to pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the three family members.
The court also directed the Delhi government to provide a job to the elder sister and vocational training to the younger sister. “I still have insecurities about being seen in public. I avoid going out. But now, at least I have some certainty for the future,” said the elder sister.
“I am still not sure if Mukhiya came for us. I think he came back for my mother,” recalled the survivor. “When he attacked us, I was just shocked initially at what had happened. The liquid that was thrown at us felt like water for the first few seconds. Then it started burning… and I screamed,” she added.
Even as they got medical support from the city-based Dr Ajay Kashyap, the family persevered hard when it came to the legal battle. “Our treatment was done for free by Dr Ajay Kashyap. He was of great help all along. But our case was not moving forward. Hearing bhi zyada nhi chal rahi thi (The hearing was not moving forward),” said the woman.
In 2019, the family was contacted by Shaheen Malik, founder, Brave Souls Foundation, a nonprofit that works for the rehabilitation and rights of survivors of acid attack and gender-based violence.
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“Shaheen ji said she would handle our case and will get us good lawyers. Things finally started moving forward last year,” said one of the survivors. On November 8, 2024, Mukhiya was convicted of throwing acid on the three family members by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Aditi Garg.
The family then appealed for an increase in the compensation of Rs 3 lakh, the government-mandated compensation amount for acid attack survivors, that each of them had initially received. A Delhi court then awarded them a total compensation of Rs 20 lakh.
Shaheen Malik, who has been working on such cases for a long time, said that the court order will be a beacon of hope for many.
“Achievements from judiciary is a hope for many survivors for their respective cases. Justice from the judiciary makes the survivors believe in judiciary again,” she asserted.
