Daughters of the imprisoned revolutionary poet Vara Vara Rao have appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, requesting him to release their father by granting temporary bail or parole on the grounds of age, health and COVID-19 spread.
They brought to his notice, the instance of a prisoner dying of COVID-19 in the jail where Mr. Vara Vara Rao was lodged.
In a letter to Mr. Thackeray on Tuesday, daughters P. Sahaja, P. Anala and P. Pavana, also sought permission for family members to visit him personally in jail to ensure his safety and well-being. They also appealed for more frequent phone calls and letters, and permission for advocates to meet him.
Mr. Vara Vara Rao was arrested in November 2018 on charges pertaining to Bhima-Koregaon violence and an alleged Maoist conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, he had been kept under house arrest for three months. After arrest, he was first shifted to Yerawada Jail, Pune, and later transferred to Taloja Jail, Navi Mumbai. Calling the cases ‘fabricated’, his daughters said it was perturbing to see news that a prisoner died in Taloja Jail due to COVID-19, which was admitted by the government during the hearing of a PIL in Mumbai Court on Monday.
Citing his 80 years of age, and multiple health issues, the letter said he is highly vulnerable to coronavirus. Yet, during the eight weeks of lock down, the authorities have not allowed even the usual correspondence, let alone visits by family. His lawyers too were not allowed to visit him.
“We have been extremely anxious to find out his well being, and during these eight weeks, he was allowed to make phone calls three times to speak to our mother, who is also ailing and 70 plus. Even the phone conversation was allowed only for two minutes,” the letter said. Prison authorities were unresponsive when Mr.Rao’s advocate called them to enquire about his health condition, which has left the family members very worried and anxious, it said.
Contesting that Mr.Rao is only an under trial prisoner, his daughters said his right to life guaranteed by Article 21 cannot be put to risk. He was earlier acquitted as not guilty in 25 cases, they said in the letter.
