Thane, Feb 6 A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for severely injuring a woman in an acid attack in 2022, citing that the "ferocious and violent crime" had turned the survivor's life into a "living hell".
Additional sessions judge G G Bhansali held Kolimuddin Amir Shaikh (49), a resident of neighbouring Mumbai, guilty of charges under section 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) of the Indian Penal Code for the attack that took place in 2022.
A copy of the order passed on February 3 was made available on Friday.
Additional public prosecutor RW Pande sought stringent punishment for the accused, a labourer from West Bengal, and presented nine witnesses in court to prove the charges.
As per the case details, the accused had been in a relationship with the survivor, Taslima Shaikh, a widow residing in Thane who provided tiffin services. On April 22, 2022, Kolimuddin entered the woman's house in Thane and threw nitric acid on her face, causing severe injuries and permanent disfiguration.
Judge Bhansali noted that apart from the physical injuries, the woman had sustained "deep psychological trauma" and her life had become a "living hell".
"It is the most ferocious and violent crime against a woman," he stated in the order.
The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him, while directing the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to ensure the woman receives aid under the Victims' Compensation Scheme.
