The largest numbers of victims come from the poorest backgrounds and are women who have rejected their husbands, employers or would-be boyfriends.
The attack is not committed in a fit of anger or "passion" as is popularly believed but is premeditated and intended to kill or maim.
The attacker's message in no uncertain terms is that if you can't be mine, you won't be any one else's either.
Mamata's story goes back 12 years, to when she was 14.
Her crime was that she refused to stay with a husband who had decided to marry again.
Over several months, while she stayed with her parents, he coaxed, threatened and tried to persuade her, but to no avail.
One day catching up with her as she headed for work, he suggested she come and sit for a while in the quiet, secluded park en route.
Then as she made to leave he grabbed her hands and threw acid over her face and arms, leaving her permanently scarred.
Twelve years on, she tries to live as normal a life as she can, though in a society where looks are everything, especially for women, getting a job, even as a domestic help, can be difficult.
Sunita Thakur
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