Varavara Rao Granted Bail Relief By Bombay High Court

Mumbai, March 1, 2021: The Bombay High Court has allowed poet and activist Varavara Rao to deposit temporary cash security to get released on bail till arrangements for the two solvent sureties are made by April 5.

Senior Advocate Anand Grover mentioned to the division bench of Justice SS Shinde and Justice Manish Pitale that the procedure for obtaining surety was taking a long time. Grover is seeking directions for making changes in the formality of submitting surety to the Special NIA Court for releasing Rao on bail.

Rao, who had been granted bail by the Bombay high court on Feb 22, again approached the court as he was facing difficulty in completing the formalities. The National Investigating Agency (NIA) opposed the plea.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said that he had no instructions to give consent to the plea.

Rao has been lodged at a private hospital in suburban Mumbai. He was granted bail on February 22 with the court saying, “The undertrial – Dr PV Varavara Rao is directed to be discharged from the Nanavati Hospital depending upon his health condition as on today and he be released on bail, for the present, for a period of six months on his furnishing a Personal Bond of Rs 50,000 and two solvent sureties in the like amount, subject to the following conditions.”

The court had imposed 12 other conditions.

Rao had to look for two persons who could stand as surety for an amount of Rs 50,000. It is a tedious procedure as it involves the district collector. Grover told the court that due to lockdown there is a delay in completing the procedure and it could take 3-4 months.

The court recorded the objections of the investigating agency and granted permission to submit cash security. Rao will have to furnish the cash in Mumbai special NIA court which is seized of the case. With this order, Rao will now walk free soon.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/activist-varavara-rao-gets-further-relief-from-bombay-hc-in-bail-conditions-1774438-2021-03-01