NIA Moves Bombay HC To Revoke Political Prisoner Varavara Rao’s Medical Bail

Mumbai, December 18, 2021: Telugu poet and political prisoner Varavara Rao, one of the accused persons in the Bhima Koregaon case, is medically stable and must surrender to prison authorities, the National Investigation Agency told the Bombay High Court on Friday, according to Live Law.

The investigation agency made the argument at a hearing of Rao’s petition for extending his interim bail. At a previous hearing, the High Court had extended the bail till December 20.

The Bombay High Court, on December 3, had directed the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai to examine the Telugu poet. The court had given the hospital two weeks to conduct a comprehensive examination on the 82-year-old political prisoner.

On Friday, the hospital submitted a summary of Rao’s health condition to the court after conducting cardiac, psychiatric, neurological and urological tests on him.

Nanavati Hospital said the poet’s vital parameters were in the normal range, The Indian Express reported. “However, the blood pressure was found to be on slightly higher side by cardiologist and hence the dose of Tab Cilacar has been increased from five milligrams to 10 milligrams,” it said.

The hospital described Rao as “cognitively normal”, according to Live Law. “His headaches have resolved completely…Overall his neurological functions are normal except for mild slowness of activities and some handwriting difficulty,” the summary said.

The Bombay High Court was told that presently Rao does not need “active management or change in medication”, The Indian Express reported. “Hence, he has been asked to continue with his regular medications and follow-up is necessary,” the hospital added.

Special Public Prosecutor Sandesh Patil, based on the results of Rao’s medical tests, urged the court to send him back to jail.

But Rao’s lawyer Anand Grover argued that just submitting a summary of his client’s health condition was insufficient and sought the whole record of the medical examination, Bar and Bench reported.

Based on Grover’s argument, the court directed the hospital to submit Rao’s complete medical reports, Live Law reported. It will take up the matter again on Monday.

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