1980 Bhagalpur blindings


The Bhagalpur blindings refers to a series of incidents in 1979 and 1980 in Bhagalpur in the state of Bihar, India when police blinded 31 individuals under trial by pouring acid into their eyes. The incident became infamous as the Bhagalpur blindings. The incident was widely discussed, debated and acutely criticised by several human rights organisations. The Bhagalpur blinding case had made criminal jurisprudence history by becoming the first in which the Indian Supreme Court ordered compensation for violation of basic human rights.

In popular culture

The Bollywood movie Gangaajal is loosely based on this incident.
Amitabh Parashar's documentary "The Eyes of Darkness" was inspired by this incident, documenting blindings as they continue even today.