Gangrape convict booked for attempt to suicide, shifted back

to jail New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Death row convict in the December16 gangrape case, Vinay Sharma who had allegedly tried tocommit suicide in Tihar jail, has been booked by the policefor the offence even as he was shifted back to the prison fromDDU hospital today. Police said that a case of attempt to suicide has beenregistered at Hari Nagar police station against Sharma on acomplaint by a Tihar jail official. "A case has been registered under Section 309 (attempt tosuicide) of IPC against the accused Vinay Sharma on acomplaint by a Tihar official," said a senior police officer. Sharma was shifted to the prison from DDU Hospital wherehe was kept under observation after he tried to hang himselfin jail number 8 of Tihar on the night of August 23. His security arrangements have been further beefed up andhe has been provided counselling at the jail. He will be keptunder a 24-hour observation by the jail authorities. "Sharma was shifted from DDU Hospital to jail around 5.30PM and he has now been shifted from his previous high-securityward to a special security ward. Tamil Nadu Special Policepersonnel will watch him round-the-clock so that no untowardincident occurrs in future," said a senior Tihar official. A jail counseller interacted with him after his returnfrom the hospital and he admitted that he was "depressed dueto his conviction and death sentence", the official added. Meanwhile, Sharma’s lawyer A P Singh representing him inthe gangrape case in the Supreme Court, circulated a letterto the media alleging that his client was "poisoned" insidethe jail and sought his shifting to another prison. Sharma, one of the four death row convicts in the December16 gangrape case, allegedly tried to commit suicide in Tiharjail but his attempt was foiled by vigilant guards. As perjail sources, he had also claimed to have consumed a heavydose of anti-depressants in his suicide bid, a chargerubbished by jail officials. The 23-year-old victim was brutally assaulted and rapedby six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16,2012, triggering nation-wide shock and outrage. She was latershifted to a Singapore Hospital where she died. Four convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singhand Pawan Gupta — were sentenced to death in the case. Prime accused Ram Singh was found dead in his Tihar jailcell in March 2013 and proceedings against him weresubsequently abated. A juvenile accused in the case wasconvicted and sentenced to a maximum of three years in areformation home. He was released from there in December lastyear. PTI VIT SLBSC