Psychiatric ailment last hope for KLF terrorist

For last two years Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devender Pal Bhullar is lodged at the state Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for treatment of a psychiatric ailment. HT reports.

For last two years Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devender Pal Bhullar is lodged at the state Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for treatment of a psychiatric ailment.

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“Bhullar, who is suffering from psychological ailments and has a suicidal tendency, was admitted to IHBAS for treatment around two and a half years ago and has not returned to Tihar since. As a Tihar inmate, his has been the longest stay at IHBAS so far,” said a prison source.

It is, however, not clear if the SC’s observations on rejecting his petition despite a mental ailment would tie down the Tihar authorities.

The Jail manual requires death row convicts suffering from psychiatric ailments to be examined by a medical board.

Government sources said the SC had dealt with the issue of his ailment in context of a final decision on commuting the death penalty. The Tihar authorities will have to get him examined to determine if he was fit to be hanged.

“Bhullar has a psychiatric ailment. He is suffering from depression with psychotic features,” IHBAS’s director Dr Nimesh G Desai told HT.

Desai said, “He has a suicidal tendency. He tried to hang himself in a bathroom around 10 months ago, but his life was saved due to the effective surveillance system we have at IHBAS.”

He said, “Bhullar has been here for over two years and that is because of his condition.

He is not feigning it, his ailment is a fact.”