The recent acquittal of the accused in a 16-year-old acid attack case has reopened deep wounds in India’s long struggle against this kind of corrosive violence. In 2009, in Panipat, Shaheen Malik endured horrific injuries after an acid attack, losing sight in one eye and undergoing 25 reconstructive surgeries. Acid attacks in India must not be perceived as isolated transgressions; they are part of a broader culture of gendered cruelty. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data, India recorded 207 acid attack cases in 2023, an increase from 202 such crimes in 2022 and 176 in 2021. Of the total number of assaults in 2023, 113 were investigated, while 53 cases were pending from the previous year.

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2026 02:36 UTC