After a nudge from the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government agreed on Wednesday to transfer 81-year-old poet and activist Varavara Rao from Taloja Central Jail Hospital to Nanavati Hospital for 15 days for a medical examination and treatment. .
A bench from the SS Shinde and Madhav Jamdar division of judges held a physical hearing during the court holidays, calling it an urgent matter.
Lead defender Indira Jaisingh, who appeared on behalf of Mr. Rao, listed the ailments he suffered and said he needed treatment.
The attorney general, Deepak Thakare, informed the court that the State Interior Minister, Anil Deshmukh, had agreed to transfer Mr. Rao to Nanavati hospital for 15 days as a “special case” and not as a precedent.
While issuing the order, the court also allowed Mr. Rao’s family to visit him and ordered that all medical reports be filed with the court.
The matter will now be known on December 3.
The order came despite strong objections from Additional Attorney General Anil Singh, representing the National Investigation Agency. He argued that the government-run hospitals were well equipped to treat Mr. Rao and that if this was allowed, all prisoners would seek special treatment. He said that Mr. Rao could be transferred to JJ Hospital.
Choice of state
However, Ms Jaisingh interrupted and said that the last time he was admitted to JJ Hospital, he was found in a pool of urine. He said that Nanavati Hospital was chosen by the state government as he was initially admitted there.
While requesting that Mr. Rao be transferred immediately, Ms. Jaisingh reiterated that if he died, it would be a death in custody. She read the report presented by the doctors at the Nanavati Hospital on November 17, which recorded her age at 45 years.
The report was prepared after examining Mr. Rao for 15 minutes via videoconference.
Multiple ailments
Ms. Jaisingh read a previous report from Nanavati Hospital, which mentioned that she had dementia, had had a heart attack, liver failure, kidney failure, and was COVID-19 positive.
He added that an elderly person could have multiple complications after COVID and that Mr. Rao was already bedridden and had a urinary tract infection because his catheter was not changed for three months.
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