The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all High Courts across the country to submit detailed reports regarding pending trials in acid attack cases within four weeks. The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, termed the 16-year delay in the trial of the petitioner, an acid attack survivor, as a “national shame” and a “mockery of the legal system.”

The Supreme Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik. The Court took serious note of the fact that the trial in the petitioner’s own case has been pending before a Rohini court in New Delhi since 2009. Consequently, the Bench issued notices to the Centre and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities regarding the plea to categorize acid attack survivors as “

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