Bombay HC dismisses Varavara Rao’s plea for permanent bail
The Hindu
Court, however, extends temporary medical bail by three months
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed 82-year-old activist-poet Varavara Rao's plea for permanent bail on medical grounds but extended his temporary medical bail by three months.
A Division Bench of Justices S.B. Shukre and G.A. Sanap also dismissed Mr. Rao's plea seeking a transfer back to Telangana.
The court said, "Certain facts were brought before us during the course of hearing. When we verified, we found some substance in the contention."
The court passed directions to appoint medical officers in Maharashtra prison hospitals, and the compliance report should be submitted by the Inspector-General of Maharashtra by April 30.
Mr. Rao is currently out on medical bail and residing in Mumbai with his wife. He was granted interim medical bail for six months on February 22, 2021, which has been extended by three months so he can undergo a cataract operation.
Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) Anil Singh, representing the National Investigation Agency, had earlier opposed the plea and pointed out Mr. Rao was granted interim bail in February 2021 for six months, and the period had been extended from time to time. He mentioned that after being medically examined by the state-run J.J. Hospital, Mr. Rao was taken to a private hospital and as per its report, "He is cognitively normal."
Mr. Singh added, "He is over 80 years old, obviously there will be medical problems. But that does not mean he keeps taking extensions forever. He has to surrender some time. I don’t see why this plea should survive."
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