Published 18:35 IST, February 22nd 2020
Nirbhaya case: Patiala House Court dismisses convict Vinay's plea claiming insanity
ASJ Dharmender Rana of the Patiala House Court dismissed the plea to refer Nirbhaya case convict Vinay to a hospital to seek treatment for mental illness.
On Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana of the Patiala House Court dismissed the plea to refer Nirbhaya convict Vinay Sharma to a hospital to seek treatment for his alleged mental illness. Lawyer AP Singh contended that his counsel Sharma had a serious head injury, shoulder fracture, and schizophrenia. Therefore, he urged the court to allow Sharma to be referred to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Shahdara for high-level treatment.
On the other hand, the Additional Public Prosecutor argued that there was not only regular health evaluation but also psychiatric care was provided to every convict in the jail. In the order, the judge referred to the medical report annexed as a part of the report submitted by the Jail Superintendent. According to the report, the rapist was found to have a “dramatic” and “superficial” demonstration of mental illness.
The report added that the general condition of Sharma is stable. While directing the jail superintendent to ensure appropriate care of convicts, the court dismissed the plea for the “want of merits”. Sharma, along with the three other convicts are scheduled to hang till death at 6 am on March 3.
Read the complete order of the Patiala House Court here:
The Nirbhaya rape and murder case
A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16, 2012, in Delhi. The victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on the road along with her male friend and succumbed to injuries a few days later. Out of the six convicts, one reportedly committed suicide in prison, while another, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015. The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed the death penalty by a trial court in 2013, confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014. The Supreme Court upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017.
Updated 18:35 IST, February 22nd 2020