Acid Ingestion Survivor Ruman Secures Enhanced Compensation After Seven-Year Ordeal
Imagine watching others savor your favorite dishes—biryani, chhole bhature, pani puri—while you cannot take a single bite. Picture wanting to travel just two hours to your hometown but being unable to endure the journey. Envision living with constant nausea with no relief in sight. For 29-year-old Ruman, these scenarios have defined her life for the past seven years.
A Rare Legal Victory Amidst Trauma
In a rare acknowledgment of her pain and suffering, Ruman has possibly become the first known survivor of forceful acid ingestion in India to receive an enhanced compensation of Rs 5 lakh. This decision follows years of legal struggle, marking a significant milestone in her fight for justice. In 2024, she had initially received a compensation of just Rs 3 lakh, but persistent advocacy led to this increased award.
The Nightmare Begins: Marriage Turns Violent
Ruman's life took a tragic turn after her marriage in 2016. She moved from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh to Mustafabad in northeast Delhi to live with her husband and his parents, hoping for a new chapter of fulfillment and stability. Instead, she faced immediate demands for dowry and escalating violence.
"Right from the beginning, my in-laws started demanding dowry," Ruman recalls. "On weekends, my husband would come home drunk and beat me up." When she reached out to her parents, they urged her to persevere, hoping the situation would improve. They even arranged an additional Rs 1 lakh for her in-laws in an attempt to calm tensions.
The Horrific Acid Ingestion Attack
The violence did not cease, even after the birth of her son Aarav in 2018. In March 2019, during another violent argument, Ruman was beaten severely and nearly lost consciousness. "My throat was parched and I asked for water. Someone handed me a bottle," she recounts. "The moment I drank from the bottle, I felt a burning sensation in my mouth and throat. It felt like a river of fire was coursing through my body."
The liquid was acid, leading to an attack known as acid ingestion, where a corrosive substance is forced into the body internally. Unlike external acid attacks that scar the skin, this type inflicts deep internal injuries.
Severe Medical Consequences and Lifelong Challenges
Ruman was rushed to the hospital as the acid burned through her food pipe. Doctors performed a feeding jejunostomy, inserting a tube directly into her small intestine for nutrition, along with a partial gastrectomy to remove part of her damaged stomach. For an entire year, she could not speak and communicated by writing on paper. It took nearly a year and a half before she could slowly begin sipping liquids again.
Today, her life depends on a semi-liquid to liquid diet and constant medical care. Much of her intestine was removed, leaving her without a large intestine. The attack severely damaged her food pipe, requiring an endoscopy every three months to widen it so she can swallow food. Ruman cannot stand for long or perform physically demanding work, making employment nearly impossible.
Support from Brave Souls Foundation
Almost all of Ruman's treatment and legal support have been provided by the Brave Souls Foundation, a Delhi-based organization run by Shaheen Malik, who is herself an acid attack survivor. Malik emphasizes that while monetary compensation is important, it is not proportionate to the scale of Ruman's loss, given her inability to work due to her medical condition.
"However, the support shown by the current Chief Justice of India gives us hope that the system will gradually become more responsive to such survivors," Malik says. "Marriage is often treated as an unavoidable reality for women. When a relationship within the institution takes a violent turn, many feel they have no exit. As a society, we must work towards financial independence for women so that they can make choices about their lives."
A Life Centered on Her Son
At home, Ruman's days now revolve around her eight-year-old son Aarav. As he sits beside her doing homework, she watches quietly. "He keeps me going," she says, highlighting the emotional strength she draws from her child amidst ongoing physical and emotional challenges.
This case underscores the severe and often overlooked consequences of acid ingestion, calling for greater awareness, legal reforms, and societal support for survivors of such brutal attacks.
