KOLKATA: Calcutta high court on Friday asked the state to come to the aid of acid attack victims . "You are giving money to clubs. Why don't you fund the treatment of the acid-attack victims adequately?" asked Justice Dipankar Datta on Friday. He also asked the state to apprise the court on the mode of reimbursement of medical expenses of such victims.After a spate of acid attacks, not just in the districts but also on the fringes of the city, the HC dealt with the case with utmost seriousness.Last July, the court issued an interim order asking the state to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to an acid attack victim within two weeks, the first such dole in the state.Appearing on behalf of over 12 acid-burn victims, advocate Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee said that none of the perpetrators was arrested and the funds made available to the victims by the state were inadequate for their treatments. He also urged the court to ban over-the-counter sale of acid.Government counsel Tapan Mukherjee said the state had set up a fund of Rs 50 lakh to help acid victims, which has been forwarded to State Legal Aid Service so they can access legal assistance to get justice.Justice Datta then asked, "Why such a meagre amount for acid attack victims when the government is quite liberal in distributing funds among clubs?" In November 2016, Justice Datta directed the state to adopt a comprehensive scheme so that acid-attack victim can be suitable rehabilitated in mainstream of life.

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