@SantosheeMishra
Dr Varavara an alleged accused in the Elgar Parishad case currently admitted for Covid, his lawyer told the HC that he is almost on his deathbed, family should be permitted to visit him in this condition.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra government to inform it about the health condition of poet Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoists links case, and if his family could be allowed to see him from a reasonable distance.
The court directed the NIA and Maharashtra government after Dr Rao’s lawyer informed the court that the activist is almost on his death-bed.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and S P Tavade asked the investigators and the state to inform the court about Rao’s health condition and clarify by July 22 whether his family members could be permitted to see him.
Rao-81-year-old is presently treated in the Nanavati Hospital. He was tested positive for coronavirus last week while he was treated in state-run J J hospital for neurology issues.
The defence lawyer Sudeep Pasbola told the court that the activist is in serious state of health and is almost in his deathbed condition in the hospital. Pasbola pleaded with the bench if he were to die it should be in the presence of his family. He also highlighted that his condition is serious as he hit his head against the hospital bed while he was at the J J hospital and has sustained severe injuries. Besides COVID-19, he suffers from several ailments, he is hallucinating and is delirious.
The bench, however, asked if Rao can meet his family as has COVID-19 to the lawyer of Dr Rao.
The Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the NIA, said as far as he knew, “COVID-19 patients could not be permitted to meet anyone”.
