No coercive action against Varavara Rao till Sept 6, NIA tells HC
MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday assured the Bombay high court (HC) that it would not take coercive action against Elgar Parishad accused P Varavara Rao who was granted bail for a period of six months on February 22. As Rao has to surrender on September 5, he approached the HC seeking an extension of the bail, but due to paucity of time, the matter could not be heard.
In light of this, Rao’s counsel sought reliefs from HC, however, after the NIA assured of no coercive action, HC posted a hearing of the matter to Monday, September 6.
When the application of the Telugu poet and activist came up for hearing before the division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice NJ Jamadar, senior advocate Anand Grover for Rao informed the bench that the period of bail granted by the bench for six months was coming to an end and he had to surrender to the Taloja jail by September 5.
Additional solicitor general
Anil Singh for the NIA gave a statement that no coercive action would be taken against Rao, in the event of him not surrendering on September 5, as the court was going to hear the application the next day, which was accepted by the bench.
Rao’s wife had approached the HC seeking medical bail for her 84-year-old husband who was kept at Taloja jail with other accused in the Elgar Parishad case.
The application had stated that as Rao suffered from various ailments and the jail did not have sufficient facilities, he should be permitted to join his family in Telangana as his daughter was a doctor and she would take care of him.
After completion of all formalities, Rao had been released from Taloja prison in the first week of March.