New Delhi: A Tihar Jail official yesterday denied in a Delhi court the allegation that Vinay Sharma, an accused in the December 16 gang rape, was beaten by inmates while the accused claimed a threat to his life and refused to return to prison after the hearing.
The jail official said Sharma’s right arm was fractured “due to a fall in a police van while returning to jail from court”.
Amid high drama, Sharma, whose arm was bandaged, pleaded before Additional Session Judge Yogesh Khanna not to send him to Tihar jail after the court proceeding as he feared for his life.
“If you want to kill me, kill me here but don’t send me to Tihar in any condition,” said Sharma.
The court however did not concede his request and Sharma was taken to Tihar after the day’s proceeding.
His counsel claimed jail officials beat up his client in prison on Friday night.
The superintendent of jail number 7 told the fast track court that Sharma had informed him that the injury in his arm was due to a fall in the van on April 4.
The jail official submitted a report and CD of CCTV footage of the barrack where Sharma was lodged and said Sharma “never said he was beaten up”.
“Vinay was personally questioned by the jail superintendent where he stated on record that the injury in his hand was due to fall in police bus on April 4 evening while returning from court and this has nothing to do with his stay in jail,” said the report.
“He also stated before me that he never told his counsel that he was beaten by the inmates of the jail... he stated that media reports are false and are being planned by certain people with an intention of receiving cheap publicity,” the report added.
The court reserved the order on an application which said that the accused were being treated brutally in Tihar and they should be transferred to Rohini Jail.
The court will pass the order on the application tomorrow and directed the jail superintendent to look into the security of all the accused.
The judge on Friday directed the jail superintendent to be present in court and explain how Sharma had fractured his hand and if any action had been taken on his allegation that he was beaten up.
IANS
