December 16 gangrape convict shifted to another jail: Tihar to court

NEW DELHI: Tihar Jail authorities today told a Delhi court that one of the four death row convicts in the December 16 gangrape and murder case, who had claimed he was being regularly assaulted by the inmates, has been shifted to another prison where CCTV cameras are installed for surveillance.

The superintendent of Tihar Central jail number five informed the court in a single-page report on the plea by convict Vinay Sharma seeking transfer from the jail where he was lodged.

Sharma, who is also facing trial along with three others in a separate robbery case, had sought transfer to ward number two of jail number five apprehending threat and had alleged that he was assaulted regularly by the prison inmates.

"The same matter has already been decided by competent authority and Vinay Sharma has been shifted from Central Jail number five to Central Jail number three on August 21 and Akshay is presently lodged in Central Jail number two with the direction to (conduct) proper surveillance and to keep in separate cell where CCTV cameras are installed," the report filed before Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh said.

"It is pertinent to mention here that convicts Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh alongwith other co-accused were previously transferred from Central Jail number five to Central Jail number two on May 13, 2015 by the direction issued from the PHQ for their safety and security due to lack of separate cells in Central Jail number five," it said.

The court is hearing final arguments in the robbery case in which the four convicts of December 16 gangrape and murder case -- Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh - are facing trial.

They were awarded death penalty by trial court in the gangrape and murder case which was later confirmed by Delhi High Court. Their appeals are pending before the Supreme Court.