Karnataka - Bangalore   

`It is not punishment'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MAY 6. Haseena Hussain (25), who, five years ago, fell victim to an acid attack, on Thursday expressed anguish over the punishment given to the accused in the case, Joseph Rodericks.

A city court has sentenced Rodericks to five years and three months rigorous imprisonment besides asking him to pay Rs. 3 lakhs as compensation to the victim. "That is not punishment," she said.

Sources in the prosecution said Rodericks would only be in jail for three months as he had spent five years in jail. Haseena Hussain used to work for Rodericks. She said she had decided to look for another job when he said he loved her. She said his response to her decision was to throw acid on her.

Her family (her father is a clerk in the Defence services) has been finding it tough to pay for her surgeries. But this is not an isolated case. There have been such cases before. Last year, Shruthi (now 18) was attacked in a similar fashion and the right side of her body was burnt.

Mahila Jagruthi, a city-based non-government organisation, has been working on such cases. "Till December 2003, we came across 30 such cases all over the State," Sushma, a member of the organisation, said.

She said, "You can get cleaning acids off the shelf, but you need licence to buy sulphuric acid (allegedly used on Haseena Hussain)."

On Tuesday, Jacqueline Asha, a beautician, was attacked with acid when she was returning home in Cholanayakanahali. She told the police that Sanjay, an acquaintance, had asked her to marry him though she was married. She had spurned his advances, the police quoted her as saying.

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