The Bombay High Court on Friday extended 82-year-old poet Varavara Rao’s date of surrender back to the jail till December 20. The Division Bench also extended the time given to the National Investigation Agency to file Mr. Rao’s medical report till December 17. Mr. Rao had sought an extension of the medical bail given to him for a period of six months.
Mr. Rao’s lawyer claims that he has asymptomatic Parkinson’s ailment.
Mr. Rao, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence is currently out on medical bail and is residing in Mumbai. He has urged the court to allow him to go home to Telangana.
He was granted interim medical bail for six months on 22 February 2021 and had filed for an extension. On November 29, the court directed the central agency to conduct fresh medical tests and submit the reports without medical jargons.
The fresh medical plea filed by Mr. Rao’s lawyers mention an opinion by a neurologist of a famous private hospital that “He has asymptomatic Parkinson’s ailment”.
The plea goes on to say that he takes 13 medicines daily for neurological problems, cholesterol, blood pressure, prostate, acidity, gastro-esophageal reflux, constipation, cardiac issues and pain relief.
He has been suffering from constant headaches, known as cluster headaches, and needs further examinations and constant supervision. He has retention problems, movement disorders with tremors and gait instability.
On 18 November 2020, the Maharashtra Government had agreed to shift Mr. Rao from Taloja Central Jail hospital for 15 days for medical examination and treatment to a private hospital.
Mr. Rao was arrested on 28 August 2018 along with Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira.
