Varavara Rao Challenges Spl Court Order Rejecting Bail On Medical Grounds Before Bombay HC

Varavara Rao, the 81-year-old poet and literary critic from Telangana, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, challenged the order passed by a special court on June 26 rejecting temporary bail sought on medical grounds, before the Bombay High Court.

Judge DE Kothalikar had for a second time, in an order dated June 26, rejected the interim bail pleas filed by Rao and co-accused academic 61-year-old Shoma Sen on medical grounds.

Rao's failing health has been a matter of grave concern for family members and well wishers as he suffers from several comorbidities and is susceptible to the virus. In a recent call with family members on Saturday, Rao reportedly sounded delirious and was talking about his parents, their funeral when Rao was young etc. Last month, Rao fainted in jail and was rushed to JJ Hospital.

Advocate R Sathyanarayanan moved an urgent praecipe on Sunday seeking hearing in Rao's petition on Tuesday citing urgency, instead of its scheduled hearing on Friday. Also, it was contended that jail authorities failed to conduct medical checkups of Rao as suggested by JJ Hospital.

The petition also sought directions to the concerned authorities to send Rao for a medical check-up immediately and to send him to a private hospital at his own expense for advance check-ups. Moreover, directions are sought to authorities for production of all the medical records of Rao and treatment given to him after suggestions from JJ Hospital.

Rao is lodged at Taloja jail currently along with eight other men, who are accused of having maoist links and inciting the caste based violence that took place on the 200th anniversary celebrations of the battle of Bhima Koregaon. Apart from these nine men, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and professor Shoma Sen are the other two accused. They are lodged at Byculla women's prison.

Meanwhile, another accused, academician Anand Teltumbde moved before the special court on Monday seeking default bail under Section 167(2) of CrPC. Yesterday, Special Judge Kothalikar had rejected Gautam Navlakha's plea for default bail.