Amid Covid surge, Bombay HC extends Varavara’s bail till Feb 5
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday extended till February 5 the temporary bail granted to Elgar Parishad case accused P Varavara Rao, 81, citing the Covid-19 situation.
The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at an event in Pune on December 31, 2017, which allegedly triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial.
A division bench of justices S S Shinde and N R Borkar issued the extension order after senior advocate Anand Grover, who represented Rao, told the court his client’s health condition was not good and he was seeking permanent bail. Rao’s bail was to end on Friday.
Advocate Sandesh Patil, who appeared for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), opposed Grover’s plea and said the bail granted last year was extended from time to time and that Rao should now surrender.
The court said it needed to go through medical reports while extending the bail. It added that in light of the current Covid-19 situation and considering Rao’s age, NIA should not object to the extension being sought.
The bench added that in view of the rising cases of coronavirus across the state, it would not be wise to send the 83-year-old poet-activist back to prison.
Patil told the HC that Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh had not been briefed in the matter and sought a week’s time to complete the process.
He urged the HC to grant the next date of hearing in a week’s time.
“Mr Patil, there is no point in keeping (the plea for hearing) next week. Experts say third wave (of coronavirus) may last for 50 to 60 days. This time, the police, health workers are testing positive very rapidly. The situation wasn’t as bad the last time. So in such a situation, is it proper to send him (Rao) back to jail?” the judges asked.
This is Rao’s sixth bail extension after his six-month bail period expired in Augus t 2021.
Rao’s lawyers have said apart from his earlier ailments, he developed some new ones, and hence he should be granted the extension or be allowed to move to Hyderabad where his daughters can take care of him.