
THE BOMBAY High Court on Thursday directed HDIL promoter Rakesh Wadhawan, who is charged with money laundering in the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank Ltd fraud case, be shifted back to KEM hospital after he underwent a successful cardiac surgery at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani private hospital.
On February 2, the High Court had allowed Wadhawan to undergo a bypass surgery at a private hospital, provided he bore the expenses of his six-week stay at the hospital.
At the end of the six-week period, Wadhawan was to be shifted back to the BMC-run KEM Hospital and the state government had to then decide as to when he will be moved back to the jail. The court had later extended his stay at the private hospital for another two weeks.
Representing Wadhawan, advocate Niranjan Mundargi had sought an extension of his stay at the private hospital in view of other serious ailments and multiple co-morbidities, including lung disease, and the condition wherein Wadhawan is unable to stand and is on intravenous painkillers and that he was brought to KEM Hospital as a high-risk patient.
Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), opposed the plea and said that as per affidavit filed by Dr. Prashant Nair, cardiologist from the private hospital, Wadhawan underwent the procedure successfully and he was fit to go back to KEM Hospital.
“In view of this, the applicant’s stay is not required to be extended at Kolkilaben Hospital. He should be shifted to KEM-Hospital,”Justice Anuja Prabhudessai noted and asked the dean of KEM-Hospital to evaluate the situation and submit a report by April 8.
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