The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked Tihar jail authorities to submit the medical records of Vikas and Vishal Yadav, serving life sentence in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, on a plea that they visited hospitals 87 times and 66 times, respectively, during their stay in prison.
A bench of Justices Gita Mittal and V.K. Shali also directed the jail superintendent to file a report stating whether other inmates were also permitted to visit hospitals similarly.
The court was hearing a petition filed by victim’s mother Nilam Katara seeking directions to the jail authorities and AIIMS to produce the entire record relating to the duo’s ailments and hospital visits.
Meanwhile, the court issued notice to the Delhi police on the appeals of the accused as well as the state against the trial court order awarding life term to Vishal and Vikas. While the convicts have sought setting aside of their conviction, the victim’s mother and the state have sought enhancement of punishment to death penalty. The court will hear the matter of the cross appeals on March 22, while the matter relating to the duo’s hospital visits will be taken up on Thursday.
In her petition, Nilam Katara has referred to the responses from Tihar authorities on her RTI pleas.
She said that ever since Vikas, who claims to be suffering from tuberculosis, was sentenced, he has made 87 visits to AIIMS and other hospitals besides the fact that there was no court order to refer him to AIIMS. Referral hospitals for the undertrials and convicts are DDU and LNJP, she said.
Ms Katara has sought directions from the court so that the convicts “may not misuse the financial and political influence with impunity to get the privilege of medical treatment at premiere hospitals like AIIMS.”