A committee, chaired by Deputy Attorney General Bishwaraj Koirala, has been formed to investigate into the import and sales distribution of acid in Nepal.

The committee has been given a time period of one month to suggest the legal and institutional framework needed to monitor acid imports, sales among other acid-related regulations.

According to government data, there have been 17 incidents of acid attacks this year. The highest number of incidents is 6 in Province 2 and 5 in Kathmandu. In two cases of acid attack, the survivors are men while in other cases the survivors are women.

Recently, the Criminal Code has placed acid attack into the section of intention to kill and some have been punished accordingly.

The committee needs to study the importers of the acid and their purpose in order to provide the suggestion for the regulation.

The meeting held with the participation of Attorney General Agni Kharel has decided that Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Law Hum Bahadur KC, Joint Secretary representative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr Bikash Devkota from Ministry of Health and Population, Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children Roshni Karki will be the members of the committee and there will be three representatives from the Ministry of Industry and its subordinate bodies.

“As acid is used for revenge, regulation is needed to control crime,” said Attorney General Kharel.