The Mumbai Sessions court, yesterday, convicted Ankur Pan­war for the murder of Delhi resident Preeti Rathi in May 2013. The sentencing is expected today. Three years ago, Rathi had come to Mumbai from Delhi. She was doing well in her career after being selected as a lieutenant nurse in the Indian Navy. On her first day of work, her neighbour, Panwar threw acid on her.

Acid attacks mostly result in disfigurement, but it may cause death too, as happened in Rathi’s case. But even death might be an easier punishment for survivors of acid attacks. Experts who work towards rehabilitating such survivors say there are families which have completely removed mirrors from their homes. So, there are survivors who haven’t faced a mirror in a decade.