Acid Attack: Srinagar Court Hands Life Imprisonment To Two Convicts Who Targeted Law Student

The convicts, identified as Irshad Ahmad Wani alias Sunny and Mohammad Umar Noor, were also slapped with hefty fines of ₹5 lakh each, underscoring the gravity of their crime.

Principal Sessions Judge Jawad Ahmed 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 itself 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 got 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 sentence to them so that they are reformed and are brought back to the society, the court said that the convicts deserved no leniency due to the premeditated nature of their crime.

It added,

“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”.

Observing that no punishment short of life imprisonment could provide true justice to the victim, the court maintained that the convicted individuals warranted the most severe penalty prescribed by law.

In a compassionate gesture, the court also recommended that the victim receive the maximum possible compensation under the Jammu & Kashmir Victim Compensation Scheme, 2019. The case was referred to the Jammu & Kashmir Legal Services Authority to facilitate this.

Earlier this month, the court had found both accused guilty under multiple sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, including Section 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt using acid), Section 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), and Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or providing false evidence to shield an offender).

The appalling acid attack took place on December 11, 2014, prompting law enforcement to initiate a case at Soura police station in Srinagar. The investigation revealed that the primary convict, Irshad, had been stalking the victim for an extended period and had even proposed to her. His advances were rebuffed, and in response, he conspired with his friend Mohammad Umar and carried out the acid attack.

Case Title: State (UT of J&K) through Police Station Soura Vs Irshad Amin Wani & Mohammed Umar Noor

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