The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal to take a second opinion on the medical report submitted by a nine-member committee of doctors to examine his health.
On May 20, a vacation bench of Justice A.S. Gadkari had asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to constitute a medical board of doctors to examine the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader’s health and submit a medical report.
Senior counsel Amit Desai had sought bail for Mr. Bhujbal citing asthma and sleep apnea among health conditions, besides the diet restrictions that he needs to follow. Mr. Desai had also told the court that his age should be considered as a factor to grant him bail.
A medical report by a nine-member team of doctors at JJ Hospital was submitted to the HC and Mr. Desai sought time from a vacation bench of Justice Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi to seek a private doctor’s opinion on it.
Mr. Desai said he needed time to interpret the report as it has technical details of Mr. Bhujbal’s health. He said the report states the ECG is abnormal and an angioplasty may be required; therefore a second opinion from a private doctor is a must.
However, the ED’s counsel Purnima Kantharia opposed the plea and said no two doctors have a similar opinion and therefore, time should not be granted to take another opinion. The court took the report on record and adjourned the matter on June 8 by allowing Mr. Bhujbal to take a second opinion.
The ED arrested Mr. Bhujbal on March 14 in a money laundering case. Mr. Bhujbal had filed a medical bail petition at the HC after the Prevention of Money Laundering Act Court had rejected his bail on May 13.
