The High Court has directed the Nanavati hospital to submit a fresh medical report (File)
Mumbai:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday urged the Bombay High Court to reject the plea for bail on medical grounds filed by poet-activist Varavara Rao, arrested in the Elgar-Parishad-Maoist links case, arguing that his present health condition is stable.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the NIA, reminded the court that Mr Rao’s medical reports from the Nanavati Hospital, from earlier this month, stated that he was stable and fit to be discharged.
He pointed out that the Maharashtra government had made a statement before the HC last week, saying once discharged from the private hospital, Mr Rao (81) will not be sent back to the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai, but instead, he will be admitted to the prison ward of state-run JJ Hospital here and given requisite medical care.
“His medical reports, his present health condition is stable, and the state’s statement takes care of all the prayers made in these pleas,” Mr Singh said.
“Therefore, the question of granting him bail arises only if the court doesn’t have faith in the care that the JJ Hospital will be able to provide,” Mr Singh told a bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale.
The bench was hearing three petitions — a writ petition seeking Mr Rao’s complete medical records and a bail plea on medical grounds filed by Mr Rao. The third one is a writ petition filed by Mr Rao’s wife Hemlatha alleging a breach of his fundamental rights.
Hemlatha, too, had sought in her plea that Mr Rao be let out of prison and be permitted to go back to his family in Hyderabad.
The poet-activist, lodged in the Taloja prison as an undertrial, is currently admitted to the Nanavati hospital in Mumbai.
Following the NIA’s submission, the court, however, pointed out that as per the medical reports, Mr Rao was being given over 20 pills a day.
“Just see the list of medicines being given to him every day. He is sustaining on these medicines. So, he’s continuously on medical support,” HC said.
ASG Singh, however, said most of these pills were “age-related.”
The High Court has directed the Nanavati hospital to submit a fresh medical report with Mr Rao’s latest health condition on Thursday morning and will continue hearing the arguments in the afternoon.