New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed an application by one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape-murder case, Vinay Sharma, seeking medical treatment and observed general anxiety and depression in a death-row convict were “obvious”.
“General anxiety and depression in case of a death-row convict are obvious. In the case at hand, evidently adequate medical treatment and psychological help have been provided to the convict,” Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana said.
Vinay, who along with three others, is scheduled to be hanged on March 3, allegedly attempted to hurt himself by hitting his head against a wall in jail earlier this week. He then filed a plea seeking better treatment for “mental illness, schizophrenia and head and arm injuries”.
Dismissing the plea, the court said, “It’s evident the convict is not only being provided regular medical care, but regular supportive therapy session is also being conducted by specialists.”
The jail authorities on Saturday submitted a CD (compact disc) containing CCTV footage of Vinay banging head against the wall. Vinay’s psychiatry report was also submitted to the court.
“I have seen the CD provided by the jail authorities wherein the convict is seen conversing with his family and counsel. The apparent tone and tenor of the convict is not suggestive of any abnormal behaviour, rather it convincingly corroborates the opinion of medical experts,” the judge observed.
The Tihar Jail authorities told the court the injuries sustained by Vinay were “self-inflicted and superficial”. Doctors were examining all the convict and report was sent to the Director General (Prison) daily, they said.
Vinay has exhausted all this legal remedies. He, along with three others, are scheduled to be hanged at 6 a.m. on March 3. One convict, Pawan, has yet not availed either curative or mercy petition remedy.
The case pertains to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in the national capital in December 2012.
