Convict's claim of mental illness bundle of distorted facts: Tihar officials

| | NEW DELHI
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Convict's claim of mental illness bundle of distorted facts: Tihar officials

Sunday, 23 February 2020 | Staff Reporter | NEW DELHI

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed the plea of Vinay Kumar Sharma, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape, claiming that he is suffering from insanity, mental illness and schizophrenia. In court, Tihar authorities termed as a bundle of distorted facts the claim by Sharma that he is suffering from mental illness.

Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana rejected the plea by Vinay Kumar Sharma. The authorities told Additional Sessions Judge Rana that CCTV footage established that the convict, Vinay Kumar Sharma, had inflicted superficial injuries on himself and was not suffering from any psychological disorder.

The psychologist, who appeared on behalf of the jail, said regular medical checkups of all four convicts were done on a daily basis and they are all fine.

"These (convict's claims) are all a bundle of distorted facts. Doctor attended to him and found there was an injury. They gave him medicine. All injuries are self-inflicted and superficial in nature," the public prosecutor representing jail authorities said.

"The medical records say he is not suffering from any such mental illness and his checkup in any hospital is not required. He is under regular check by the jail doctor. He talked to his mother and lawyer. So it's wrong to say that he is not able to recognise them," he said.

The defence counsel said the convict has plaster on his hand that shows he has fractures and not superficial injuries.

"Why did the jail conceal the fact about his injuries from the court? Why are documents not being filed?" advocate A P Singh, appearing for the convict, asked.

However, the Tihar authorities said "it's wrong to say he had a plastered arm. It wasn't a fracture. It was only a slab around his hand."

According to prison officials, Sharma injured himself by banging his head on his prison cell's wall in Tihar Jail. The incident happened in jail number 3 on last week on Sunday afternoon, they said, adding that he got some minor injuries and was treated at the prison premises.

The court had on February 17 issued fresh death warrants for execution on March 3 at 6 am against the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

It had issued fresh warrants against death row convicts — Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay (26) and Akshay Kumar (31). This is the third time that death warrants have been issued against them.

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