Journalism of Courage
Additional sessions and district judge V K Shewale on Tuesday asked MSRTC driver Santosh Mane a range of questions after his lawyer filed an application saying he is suffering from mental illness,is of unsound mind and incapable of making a statement.
Manes death sentence was set aside by the Bombay High Court last month.
The brother of the accused has filed an application under the Right to Information Act in respect to medical treatment given to the accused. Till today,the said information has not been given… In the interest of justice,it is necessary to refer the accused to a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist for the report whether the accused is suffering from unsoundness of mind and is consequently incapable of making his defence, it stated.
Judge Shewale has asked the prosecution to file its say on the application. He directed the Superintendent of Yerawada jail to submit the true copies of the documents pertaining to the medical treatment being given to Mane since April 8. The documents have to be submitted before the court by October 17 and the next hearing in this case would take place on October 19.
Mane had hijacked an ST bus from Swargate depot and went on a rampage,killing nine persons,injuring 37 and damaging over 25 vehicles on January 25,2012.
Judge Shewale had awarded death sentence to Mane in April this year. However,Mane moved the Bombay High Court against the death sentence. Last month,a division bench of Justices P V Hardas and P M Deshmukh set aside his death sentence. The HC remitted the case back to the sessions court in Pune to hear Mane before handing out the sentence.
