The accused, who is facing charges in a drugs case after recovery of 722 grams of heroin from him, told the court he is a chronic patient of pancreatitis and has now developed pain in his abdomen and umbilical region with oily discharge in stool. (Representational Image)

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Tuesday turned down the plea for interim bail of an accused suffering from an ailment, observing that he was getting personalised care at the Jail Hospital and it may not be available at his ancestral place in Ludhiana where the OPDs are shut on account of the coronavirus outbreak. The HC, however, ordered that he be provided all necessary medical care.

“In case, he is released on interim bail, he might not get the treatment at Ludhiana, which is under curfew and has a large number of COVID-19 patients. Therefore, under these circumstances, this court is not inclined to allow interim bail at the present moment keeping in view the aforesaid circumstances,” the order reads.

The accused, who is facing charges in a drugs case after recovery of 722 grams of heroin from him, told the court he is a chronic patient of pancreatitis and has now developed pain in his abdomen and umbilical region with oily discharge in stool. He contended that he is at high risk in the jail due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Haryana government opposed his bail plea saying he is in a safer environment inside the 30-bed jail hospital at Panipat. There are seven inmates at the hospital.

Justice Jaishree Thakur in the order said, “The petitioner at the present moment is getting treatment under the supervision of medical officer… and social distancing and other precautions of COVID-19 are strictly being followed in the hospital, as per the report of the medical officer, district jail, Panipat dated April 20. The report also mentions that the general condition of petitioner is calm and vitals are stable. It is also worthwhile to notice that the petitioner is being given medical treatment and proper diet and his condition is stable”.