CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the superintendent of SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) to conduct plastic reconstructive surgery free of cost on a woman whose face had got disfigured in an acid attack incident in 2009.
The incident had taken place on May 4, 2009 at Kanakpur village within Tirtol police limits in Jagatsinghpur district. The victim was 17 years old at that time. She had suffered severe burn injuries, loss of eyesight and has since been living in trauma. She regained partial vision after surgery was conducted in her left eye in Chennai in September 2017.
On May 9, 2022, the Assistant Sessions Judge (Women’s Court), Jagatsinghpur had convicted one Santosh Kumar Bedant in the acid attack case and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment. Bedant had committed the offence after his request for marriage was turned down by the victim.
The single judge bench of Justice SK Sahoo issued the direction recently while hearing Bedant’s bail petition. On October 31, 2023, the state counsel was asked to produce a recent photograph of the victim. The photograph which showed her face to have been completely disfigured on account of acid attack was produced before the court on February 8, 2024. Taking it in record, Justice Sahoo said, “After perusing the photograph of the victim, it is apparent that the victim needs medical intervention, especially surgical treatment, i.e. plastic reconstructive surgery.”
Accordingly, Justice Sahoo directed that the victim will be produced before the superintendent of SCB MCH. “She will be examined by a team of doctors formed by the superintendent of SCB MCH and if proper facilities for her treatment are available, so far as plastic reconstructive surgery is concerned, then the same has to be immediately provided to her free of cost,” he ordered.
“If the said treatment is not available in SCB MCH, the state shall make necessary arrangement of the treatment of the victim in other government/private hospital either inside the state or outside,” Justice Sahoo also specified, while directing for listing of the case in the week commencing from February 26.