A special court on Wednesday directed the Tihar jail authorities to provide proper medical care to one of the December 16 gangrape accused, who is not keeping well and has been hospitalised for last several days.
Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna passed the order after accused Vinay Sharma’s counsel claimed in the court that his client is in a critical condition and not getting proper medical treatment as the doctors of Government hospital where he is admitted are on strike.
The judge also asked the jail authorities to find out whether the doctors were on strike and to inform him if Vinay can be shifted to a private hospital.
“The jail superintendent was told to look into the matter. If doctors were on strike then make arrangements to shift the accused Vinay to another hospital where better facilities were available. See if he could be shifted to any other private hospital. Tell me if as per jail manual, I can send him to another hospital at Government expense,” the court said.
Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan denied claims of Vinay’s counsel AP Singh, saying the doctors were on strike only for a few hours. The court, however, said, “If doctors were on strike than why have you (jail) sent the accused to this hospital.” Vinay has not attended court proceedings since May 8 as he is not keeping well.
On Tuesday, the court had rejected Vinay’s 15 days interim bail plea for his medical treatment. Vinay was being treated at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital which had later referred him to a higher medical centre and he was then shifted to lok Nayak Hospital (lNH) where he is currently admitted. His lawyer told the court that when he visited Vinay in the hospital his condition was critical as he was not being given proper medicine or even a blanket.