Delhi Police Question Flipkart Officials Over Sale of Acid Despite Ban

Delhi Police has questioned the officials of e-commerce firm Flipkart for allegedly selling acid on its platform despite a ban on the substance by the Supreme Court.

Police on December 15 issued a notice to Flipkart after the prime accused in an acid attack on a girl in Dwarka, Delhi said he bought the substance from the e-commerce website.

According to the police, the officials were questioned on Wednesday and they are not satisfied with the reply of the firm.

The company had responded to the notice, saying that the acid was sold by an Agra-based firm.

Police said whether they will be questioned again will be decided later.

It may be mentioned that in furtherance of the directions of the Supreme Court in the matter of Laxmi vs Union Of India & Ors, the home ministry had issued an advisory on ‘Measures to be taken to prevent acid attacks on people and for treatment and rehabilitation of survivors’ on August 30, 2013.

The home ministry had asked all states/Union Territories to take immediate steps to implement the measures mentioned in the advisory for reduction of acid attacks and treatment and rehabilitation of acid attack survivors.

The ‘consumer rights’ as defined under Section 2(9) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 include the right to be protected against the marketing of goods, products or services which are hazardous to life and property.

Sale of highly corrosive acids in an easy, accessible and unregulated manner without any due diligence whatsoever by the e-marketplace entity can lead to disastrous consequences to the consumers, especially the vulnerable sections of the society, namely women and children, the ministry said.

As per Section 4 (3) of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, no e-commerce entity shall adopt any unfair trade practice, whether in the course of business on its platform or otherwise.

Two masked men on a bike flung acid on a girl minutes after she had left her west Delhi home for school on December 14, leaving her with serious injuries.

Three people — prime accused Sachin Arora and his two friends Harshit Aggarwal (19) and Virender Singh (22) — have been arrested.

Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Sagar Preet Hooda had told a press conference that the acid used in the attack was procured through an e-commerce portal and payment was made by Arora through an e-wallet.

During interrogation, it was learnt that Arora and the victim were friends till September. They fell out following which the accused attacked her, Hooda had said, adding that he lived in the girl’s neighbourhood.