NIA supports plan to shift Rao to JJ
MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday supported a proposal by the state government to shift 82-year-old Telugu poet P Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, to the prison ward of Sir JJ Hospital and opposed the petition filed by Rao’s wife P Hemlatha seeking bail for him on medical grounds. In her petition, Hemlatha had pointed out that a previous Nanavati Hospital report said that Rao was fit to be discharged and could take care of himself.
Rao’s counsel submitted that shifting Rao to Sir JJ Hospital could result in a relapse, and hence the option was to either send him to Taloja jail or his house in Hyderabad. The court sought a fresh report from Nanavati Hospital and will hear the state’s arguments opposing the petition on Thursday.
A division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice Manish Pitale, while hearing the petition, was informed by additional solicitor general Anil Singh for NIA, that there was no doubt that Rao had recovered and was fit to be discharged from Nanavati Hospital, and the same had been confirmed by the counsels of Rao who had expressed their satisfaction at his improved medical condition. Singh added that in light of the apprehensions of Rao’s family that he would have a relapse if shifted to Taloja jail, NIA agreed with the state’s proposal to shift Rao to the prison ward of Sir JJ Hospital.
Singh referred to the last medical report and said that the 20 medicines which Rao was being administered daily were age-related and could be given to him even in the prison ward of Sir JJ Hospital.
Grover then submitted that hospitals were a hotbed of infections, and if Rao was shifted to Sir JJ Hospital, there was a chance of his health getting affected adversely. He submitted that the only option was to send Rao to Taloja jail or back home. He added that Rao had complained of chest pain after the last medical report submitted by Nanavati Hospital. After hearing about the chest pain, the bench sought a fresh report from Nanavati Hospital and posted hearing for Thursday.