New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, after hearing a plea on behalf of Vinay Sharma, one of the convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape-murder case, on Thursday directed Tihar Jail Authorities to file a reply by Saturday.
Counsel for Vinay submitted before the court that the convict on death row has suffered grievous injury in Tihar Jail and required high-level medical treatment for fracture in his right arm. He further submitted that Vinay is suffering from acute mental illnesses and schizophrenia so the death sentence can not be carried out. Counsel added that Vinay is unable to recognise people, including his mother, so he may be referred to the Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences hospital.
Tihar Jail officials contended that Vinay had attempted to hurt himself by banging his head against a wall on Sunday afternoon. Security personnel stopped him and he suffered minor injuries.
Counsel for Vinay submitted that he was on a hunger strike and his mental status was not good. He is irritable and acts differently from the others.
In this matter, the court of an Additional Sessions Judge has issued third time death warrants for March 3 against convicts Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Mukesh Singh who had committed the gang rape with the young medical student. Nirbhaya was assaulted and tortured so brutally that she died days later.
Delhi High Court has ordered on February 5 that all four would have a week to exhaust all their legal remedies, including mercy petitions to the President.
Government counsel submitted before the court that the application of convicts is not maintainable and these are merely delaying tactics.
UNI XC RP1733