Justice A.K. A division bench headed by Menon was hearing a petition filed by Hemlata, the wife of P Varavara Rao. Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Rao, claimed that her health is deteriorating rapidly and there is a reasonable apprehension that she may be in jail till her death.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed a panel of doctors from a private hospital in Mumbai to conduct a medical examination through a video link of the jailed poet and activist Varavara Rao. 81-year-old Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist relations case, has been kept as an undertrial prisoner in Taloja Jail in neighboring Navi Mumbai.
Indira Jaising presented on behalf of Rao
Justice A.K. A division bench headed by Menon was hearing a petition filed by Rao's wife Hemlata. The petition requested that he be admitted to the private Nanavati hospital for better treatment, an independent medical board was formed to assess his health and he is released on bail. Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Rao, claimed that her health was deteriorating rapidly and there was a reasonable apprehension that she might be in jail till her death.
Death can happen in jail!
The lawyer said that Rao has amnesia, he has been in bed in the jail hospital since August and needs to wear diapers. Jaising said that if Rao dies in jail, it will be a case of "death in custody". He said that keeping him in jail is a violation of his right to live under Article 21. The court initially suggested that a team of doctors from Nanavati Hospital meet Rao in jail.
NIA protests The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigating the case opposed it. The agency also opposed Jaisingh's request to get Rao admitted to Nanavati Hospital. NIA lawyer Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said that prisoners cannot choose their doctors and this will create a wrong vision.
Singh said, 'Tomorrow, every prisoner will say that I should be admitted to Nanavati Hospital. Also, we should not underestimate the credibility of our government doctors and hospitals. The court, however, said that if video counseling is allowed there will be no harm. The bench said that the main concern is the assessment of the present medical condition of the accused.