Vinay Sharma is a convict in the December 2012 gangrape-murder case.
Convict Vinay Sharma, on death row in the December 2012 gangrape-murder case, has moved a Delhi court seeking medical treatment, claiming he is suffering from schizophrenia and has sustained head injuries inside Tihar Jail.
Vinay’s lawyer A P Singh moved an application before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, praying that his client be shifted to IHBAS, Shahdara, for better treatment. The court has listed the matter for February 22 and sought Tihar Jail superintendent’s reply.
Singh told court that Vinay failed to recognise his own mother and has fractured his arm. “Yesterday, at the time of legal meeting with counsel and convict, and family and convict…the convict Vinay Sharma could not identify his counsel and his mother,” Singh submitted.
Additional Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmad told the court that the application was not maintainable and that jail rules already provide for giving medical assistance to inmates.
When contacted, Tihar DG Sandeep Goel said they have documents to prove that Vinay was physically and mentally fit: “He tried to hurt himself on February 16 and sustained minor injuries on his head and hand. He had hit his head against the wall… Doctors inside the jail treated him, he’s fine now.”
In his plea, Singh stated that Vinay had “sustained grievous head injury, fracture in his arm, and suffers from insanity, mental illness and schizophrenia”. He also submitted that Vinay was “suffering from decreased sleep, anxiety” and was referred to a psychiatrist in 2018. As per his plea, from 2016 to 2019, he thrice attempted suicide and self-harm.
Singh also submitted that as per medical records, Vinay was “diagnosed with adjustment disorder… and (prescribed) a dose of anti-psychotic medicine”.
“The convict’s symptoms of anxiety and self-harm indicate considerable distress… The convict has expressed feeling of low self-esteem, uselessness, guilt. These… indicate the convict has suffered from severe depressive episodes,” read his plea.
On February 7, when the court set a fresh date of execution for March 3, Singh had submitted that Vinay sustained head injuries and was suffering from mental illness. However, the court disposed off his plea after it perused a medical report which certified that Vinay was “psychologically well adjusted”.
Meanwhile, Singh also moved a plea before the Election Commission, questioning the rejection of his mercy petition during Delhi elections.