Jail officials deny rape accused was beaten up

NEW DELHI: The Tihar Jail authorities on Saturday denied the allegations made by Nirbhaya case accused Vinay Sharma about his hand getting fractured on being beaten up by fellow inmates. This was allegedly done to stop him from appearing in a written test for the Air Force.
The superintendent of jail no. 7, Lokesh Chandra, told the court that the allegations were wrong and Sharma broke his hand while travelling from the court to Tihar in the jail van.
Chandra, who was directed by the court on Friday to explain how Sharma sustained the fracture, refuted the claims that the accused was attacked in jail. According to the other inmates, Sharma had a fight with co-accused Akshay Singh in the van, claimed Chandra.
In its report submitted to additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna, the prison authorities said Vinay and five other undertrials lodged with him are under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, and that it was not possible for other inmates to hurt him. The report also said Vinay had made contradictory statements in various hospitals on his medical status, and this proves that allegations made by him are “false and mischievous”. “In the light of contradictory statements of the patient prisoner (Vinay) in various hospitals, the allegations levelled in the application are totally false, mischievous, unfounded and for ulterior motive,” it said.
During the day, Sharma again pleaded the court to not send him back to Tihar, alleging he was assaulted by the prison security personnel, who had threatened to kill him, a charge denied by the jail authorities. Sharma requested the judge not to send him to Tihar, alleging that the jail officials threatened to kill him by hanging him in his cell on Sunday.
Vinay's advocate A P Singh said his client had been threatened by the jail’s security personnel, whom he quoted as saying, “Today, the media and lawyers can save you, but who will save you on Sunday as you have to stay in Tihar only”. Singh also claimed that Sharma’s cell also lodged a bomb blast accused who wants to kill him.
Vinay on Saturday told the judge that “If you want to kill me, kill me here but don't send me to Tihar in any condition.” His counsel contended that on Friday night he was taken out of his cell by the jail's security personnel, who beat him up badly and issued threats.
He alleged that Vinay and Akshay were not provided food on Saturday, as the former had refused to write a letter to the judge, saying the injury was caused by a fall.
The superintendent, however, dismissed the allegations that the security personnel had assaulted the accused or threatened to kill him. “everytime he complained of nausea we have always taken him to hospital. He has been taken to three hospitals and he never said that he was beaten up.” The court kept its order pending for Monday and has asked Chandra to ensure the safety and security of all the four accused.