What are the complaint forums/helplines?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on physical violence which some readers may find disturbing.] 

If you are a survivor of acid attack, you can approach the following authorities:

Police

You can approach the police to make a complaint. You can get in touch with the police by dialing the helpline number 100. The police will record the information about the crime in the FIR (First Information Report).

National Commission for Women

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a national-level government organization that is empowered to investigate complaints related to issues faced by women. The NCW will help you by:

• Monitoring and expediting the investigations being led by the police.
• Monitoring acid attack cases with regards to prosecution of the accused, providing medical relief to survivors and payment of compensation to survivors through the system. This is done through the use of the MIS system.(( MIS for Assistance to Victims of Acid Attack, National Commission for Women, accessed at http://ncwapps.nic.in/MISforAcidAttackVictims/MonitoringAuthority/default.aspx.))
• Providing counselling or a hearing before the NCW. This is done to resolve disputes between the two parties.

You can get in touch with them by either calling the helpline number 1091, or sending an email to ncw@nic.in, or filing an online complaint. Further, you can also approach the State Commission of Women situated in your state, and ask them for help.

Sub-divisional Magistrate 

A person can also complain to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the district as they have a responsibility to ensure the guidelines for acid attack are followed. These guidelines include information on sale of acid and role of shopkeepers while selling acid. They can also levy fines on shopkeepers breaching the rules laid down by the Supreme Court.(( Laxmi v. Union of India and Others, (2016) 3 SCC 669.))

National Helplines

Some national helplines that you can contact are: