The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed activist-poet Dr. Varavara Rao to be moved from Taloja Hail to Nanavati hospital for 15 days.
The court noted that Rao was almost on his deathbed.
The court was hearing the plea moved by Dr Varavara Rao’s wife Pendyala Hemlatha for his immediate release on bail citing medical grounds.
The virtual hearing yesterday was interrupted by audio disturbance following which the Court decided to conduct a physical hearing at the Court today.
“He needs some treatment,” the High Court bench of Justices SS Shinde and Madhav Jamdar said. “Can the state say no we will treat him in Taloja? We are only saying transfer him to Nanavati for two weeks. We will further see after two weeks.”
They added that Rao should not be discharged from the hospital without informing the court and that his family should be allowed to meet him at the hospital. The next hearing in the case will take place on December 3.
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising, appearing for Rao, said that he was completely bed-ridden and without a medical attendant, NDTV reported. “He is in diapers and has a catheter,” she said. “The catheter was not changed for three months, as there was no one to change it.”
Jaising added that there is “reasonable apprehension” that Rao will die in custody. She accused the Maharashtra government of negligence.
On Tuesday, the court had instructed the Maharashtra government to provide details of Rao’s medical examination to his wife. Rao’s wife had moved the High Court to shift him to Nanavati Hospital.
At the first hearing of Hemlatha’s plea, the High Court directed that a medical examination be conducted to gauge Rao’s health status. Yesterday, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Hemlatha, described the one-page medical report she had received as an “eyewash”.
Poet-activist Varavara Rao, has been in jail for 2 years after being arrested under the draconian UAPA law in relation to the Bhima Koregaon case.
The perpetrators of violence at Bhima Koregaon, hindutva activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide were not even arrested and enjoy state patronage while Varavara Rao is fighting for his life in jail.
