Court dismissed Delhi gangrape convict's plea for better medical treatment days after the convict bangs his head to get 'superficial injuries'

Vinay Sharma, one of the four death-row convicts in Nirbhaya case, filed a plea, seeking better medical treatment for his "mental illness, schizophrenia and head and arm injuries".

The Patiala House Court in Delhi on 22nd February, dismissed this plea citing that no objective signs of psychological distress were observed and that the convict desires himself to be falsely diagnosed as mentally ill

Additional Sessions Judge, Dharmender Rana was satisfied with the medical report submitted by Tihar Jail authorities, from which it was "evident that the convict is not only being provided regular medical care but regular supportive therapy/sessions is being conducted for him by the specialist psychiatry."

During arguments before the court on Saturday, convict’s counsel AP Singh argued that Vinay "had been unable to recognise his own mother" during her visit to the jail earlier this week due to “mental illness”.

Whilst dismissing the plea, the Delhi court also asked the Tihar authorities to ensure adequate medical care to all the convicts.

The court, took note of the medical reports filed by the medical officers at Tihar Jail, including the Psychiatrist, who said that "no objective signs of psychological distress was observed"and also observed that Vinay Sharma's mental condition is fine, according to the jail officials, and that the death row convict does not need medical treatment.

"The convict desires himself to be falsely diagnosed. General anxiety and depression in a case or a death row convicts are obvious," the court noted. Further, the court said, "It is specifically reported that the convict was asking the specialist psychiatry for legally favoring the convict by diagnosing him mentally ill for helping him to commute his death sentence. On mental status examination, the convict was found to have dramatic and superficial demonstration of mental illness," the court said.

On 20th February,it was revealed that Vinay Sharma had injured himself by banging his head against a wall of his cell in Tihar Jail.

The incident took place in jail number 3 on the 16th of February. He got some minor injuries and was treated inside the prison premises, the jail officials said. Further revelation, according to prison officials, Vinay had briefly stopped eating. "He is irritable in nature and acts differently from the other three convicts. His nature is different from the other three," they said.

"Vinay Sharma got hurt inside his cell after he banged his head against a wall on Sunday afternoon. While he was at it, security personnel saw him, stooped him immediately and called the doctors," another jail official said.

The Tihar Jail authorities had then mentioned that CCTV footage established that the convict, Vinay Kumar Sharma, had inflicted "superficial" injuries onto himself and was not suffering from any psychological disorder.

The future of the death convicts.

Vinay, along with the other 3 death row convicts are scheduled to be executed on March 3rd at 6am after ASJ Rana issued a death warrant to that effect on February 17. The Tihar Jail authorities have sent a notice to the four convicts to schedule their "last meeting" with their families.

This was the third occasion on which a death warrant was issued in this case, as no legal proceedings were pending before any court. Previously, death warrants had been issued for their execution to be carried out on January 22nd and February 1st respectively.