Move ailing Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan to hospital immediately, says PMLA court

MUMBAI: Observing that getting proper medical aid is a valuable right of an undertrial prisoner, a special PMLA court last week ordered a bed-ridden 69-yearold HDIL promoter Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, in jail since 2019 in a money laundering case, to be immediately moved to JJ hospital and to be continuously attended to by a ward boy.
Rakesh Kumar is suffering from multiple ailments, leaving h im unable to take care of himself and wheelchair-bound.
Special judge MG Deshpande said no prejudice will be caused to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if the plea of the accused to m ove to hospital is allowed. “On the contrary if the application is rejected, certainly it will leave the applicant at the mercy of the God without acknowledging his rights being an undert rial prisoner. The court cannot become mute spectator and ignore the precarious health of the applicant. Therefore, I am of the opinion that immediatehospitalization of the applicant is n ecessary from the point of paramount consideration of his health issues, which will be the proper answer for his condition,” the special judge said. The court said two cops should be deputed. All expenses are to be borne by the accused.
The court also said that the ED’s opposition of his plea claiming that jail staff is well-equipped and able to handle an d nurse him was baseless and not justified.