The Bombay High Court on Thursday allowed 81-year-old poet Varavara Rao, accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, to continue to be in a private hospital till January 13.
A division bench of justices S.S. Shinde and M.S. Karnik was hearing a plea filed by senior advocates Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grower on behalf of Mr. Rao’s wife Hemlata.
Mr. Rao was shifted from the Taloja Central jail to the private hospital on November 18.
On November 18, Maharashtra’s counsel informed the court that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had agreed to shift Mr. Rao to Nanavati Hospital for 15 days as a “special case” and not a precedent.
However, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh representing the National Investigation Agency, opposed to the same. He argued that the government-run hospitals were all well- equipped to treat Mr. Rao and if this was allowed, all prisoners would seek special treatment.
Ms. Jaisingh had said, “If he dies it will be a custodial death.” She had listed that he has dementia; liver failure, kidney failure, has had a heart attack, and was COVID-19 positive. She had then said there are multiple post COVID-19 complications that take place in an elderly person and he is already bed-ridden, who has an urinary tract infection because his catheter was not changed for three months.
