Inmates, Tihar jail staff extend succour to Dec 16 gangrape convicts

The four convicts in the December 16 gangrape case, whose death sentence was upheld by the apex court today, got solace and succour from fellow inmates and Tihar prison staff, where they are lodged since their arrest.

Of the four convicts who will face the gallows, Mukesh (29), Pawan (22) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) are kept in jail number two, while Vinay Sharma (23) is lodged in jail number four, a senior Tihar Jail official said.

One of the accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail, while a convicted juvenile was sentenced to three years of punishment in a reform home. 

"Their reaction was normal since they have already been convicted twice and this was no news for them. They expressed no remorse as they were sort of mentally prepared for such a verdict," the official said.

However, in view of the confirmation of their death sentence, the jail authorities have ensured round-the-clock watch on all of them through CCTV cameras. Also, warders in the jails, where they are lodged, have been instructed to report any change in their "mood or behaviour", he said.

The inmates and jail staff, including warders, have



been in touch with the four convicts and are trying to instill "positive outlook" in them, another official who met the convicts said.

"They still can go for review petition and mercy petition to get their sentences commuted and they know it. They found solace and encouragement after these things were told to them by their cellmates and the jail staff," he said.

All the four convicts have been visited by their family members at "infrequent intervals", he said.

The jail authorities have been ensuring regular medical check-ups of the four convicts to detect any sign of depression as Vinay had allegedly attempted suicide last year.

"He is being watched with extra care as he has a history of depression and also because he had tried to hang himself in the jail in August last year," the official said.

Vinay is now pursuing graduation through distance learning and is in the final year of the course.

The Supreme Court today confirmed the death sentence awarded to the four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder case, saying it had sent a "tsunami of shock" all over and was a 'rarest of rare' case.