Bhima Koregaon: Varavara Rao pleads for extension of medical bail in Bombay HC; gets time till September 25

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed that Bhima Koregaon accused Dr. Varavara Rao, who is presently on medical bail, need not surrender till September 25, 2021.

The Court was hearing a plea by Rao seeking extension of medical bail granted to him in February 2021 and modification of the bail conditions to permit him to stay at his home in Hyderabad instead of staying at Mumbai.

The octogenarian Telugu poet had earlier been granted temporary conditional bail on February 22, 2021 for a period of six months.

One of the many conditions imposed on him was to stay within the jurisdiction of the Special NIA Court, Mumbai.

When the matter was taken up for hearing on Monday, the Bench of Justice SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar stated that due to paucity of time, they will only be able to hear the case on September 24, 2021, Bar & Bench had reported.

Hence, the time granted to Rao to surrender was extended to September 25, 2021.

In his petition, Rao has stated that he has been going for regular check-ups to the Nanavati hospital once or twice in a month.

During such check-ups he was informed by the Nanavati doctors that he is suspected to have neurological problem, known as cluster headache, which needs further examination.

Besides, he submitted that he has serious and multiple medical ailments, urinary tract infection with recurrent hyponatremia, suspicion of Parkinsons' disease, lacunar infarcts in six major lobes of the brain and suffering from eye problems.

"All medical parameters of the Applicant go to show that if he is sent back to judicial custody, it will not be long before his condition reverts back to what it was," the plea said.

With such major health problems coupled with old age, given the lack of facilities in Taloja jail it is inevitable that his health would deteriorate and may lead to his death, Rao submitted, seeking extension of bail for additional 6 months.

Rao submitted that accessing health services in Mumbai was difficult and unaffordable; while on the other hand, Hyderabad, his home town, was much better and patient friendly.

Rao submitted that living in a rented apartment in Mumbai was also a huge financial burden on him.

A number of the Rao's relatives are doctors or in the medical field, thus it would serve the interest of justice if Rao is allowed to reside in his own home in Hyderabad, the plea said.

Though an opthalmologist in Mumbai advised surgery as soon as possible, both financially and logistically it was difficult to get it done Mumbai, it added.