The Bombay High Court on Thursday extended till December 2 the time given to poet Varavara Rao to surrender before the Taloja Central Jail authorities in Maharashtra.
Mr Rao, 82, was arrested on August 28, 2018 in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case and lodged in Taloja Central Jail. The High Court had on February 22 this year granted him interim bail for six months on medical grounds. He was scheduled to surrender and return to judicial custody on 5 September.
A division bench of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice SV Kotwal was hearing a plea filed by Mr Rao through senior advocate Anand Grover on Thursday seeking extension of his medical bail. Mr. Rao is currently living in Mulund with his wife.
Mr Grover informed the court that Mr Rao was admitted to a hospital on 6 November and was discharged after a medical procedure on 16 November. The division bench directed him to file a fresh petition with substantial modifications to extend the period of his medical bail.
On August 27 this year, he had filed a petition urging the court to extend his medical bail due to his debilitating health. “He has been reporting every fortnight to Kurar (East Malad) police station through WhatsApp video calls and through video calls,” the petition said. He has complied with all the conditions imposed by the court and has not violated any direction of the court.”
The petition states that Mr Rao takes 13 medicines daily for relief from neurological problems, cholesterol, blood pressure, prostate, acidity, gastroesophageal reflux, constipation, cardiac problems and pain. He has been suffering from persistent headaches, known as cluster headaches, and needs further examinations and constant supervision. A neurologist at Jaslok Hospital said he has asymptomatic Parkinson’s along with retention problems, tremors, and gait instability.
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