You can still buy acid online, no questions asked

A Supreme Court ruling and punitive regulations are no deterrent to acid sales. The same holds for swords and daggers, proscribed by law.

25 February, 202312 min
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You can still buy acid online, no questions asked

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Editor's note: Six months ago, a 17-year-old girl living in Delhi's crowded Nawada neighbourhood decided to block her 20-year-old neighbour on social media. “He was trying to be too friendly. I did not approve of his advances. So I blocked him.” The girl, who asked for anonymity fearing social stigma, thought the man would retreat after she blocked him. Little did she know that over the next three months, he was plotting revenge along with two of his friends. On a cold smoggy morning on 7 December, he attacked her with acid as she was leaving for school. Her face and eyes were severely damaged. She spent 10 days in the intensive care unit. Her vision survived but she is still dealing with the trauma.  While the police investigation is in progress, one of their earliest findings was that the acid was purchased on Flipkart.  “While acid is available offline too, the boys bought the acid from an online shopping site because it’s far easier,” the girl’s father alleges. “Just with a click, the acid was delivered to their house. What is …

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