Nirbhaya case convict seeks FIR against Delhi cops

TNN | Mar 12, 2020, 04.39 AM IST

NEW DELHI: One of the death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case has sought an FIR against two police constables for alleged physical assault inside Mandoli jail, where he is lodged. The incident, however, is stated to have taken place in July, last year.

Pawan Gupta’s counsel A P Singh filed an application and said the incident took place on July 26, 2019, when the convict was thrashed “very badly on the head and also his entire body with a stick” inside jail number 14 of Central Jail, Mandoli. Singh said that a court issued notice to the jail authorities concerned.

Gupta was beaten up again on July 28, 2019, when he once again received injuries all over his body besides being verbally abused, the application said. “Blood oozed from his head and only after repeated requests and a prolong delay he was sent to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital,” the plea claimed.

It has been contended in the application that when Gupta’s father approached the local police station to lodge an FIR, he was harassed and threatened. And despite representations before various police authorities no action was taken, it added. “Please take legal action as soon as possible,” the application said.

On March 9, another convict, Vinay Sharma, approached the lieutenant governor’s office seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Sharma, in his petition, described his life behind bars and what he faced during his confinement. The plea also urged the LG to allow Sharma’s lawyer to make oral submission before him.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)