Varavara Rao still 'disoriented', health condition needs close monitoring, Nanavati Hospital tells Bombay HC

Mumbai: In a report filed before the Bombay High Court, the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai has said that poet Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, continues to remain “disoriented” and that his health requires close monitoring . The report, submitted before a bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Abhay Ahuja on 17 August, says that while the 81-year-old poet’s persistent hyponatremia has improved, his neurological condition is yet to improve. Rao has been undergoing treatment for various ailments at the Nanavati Hospital since 16 July, after he tested positive for coronavirus. On a previous hearing on Rao’s bail plea, another bench of the high court had directed the hospital authorities to submit a report on his health status and the treatment being administered to him. The direction came after Rao’s lawyer, R Satyanarayan, told the HC that his family was being denied any information on his condition. He had also sought that a copy of the hospital report be given to the family members. On 17 August, the court had permitted the family to have a copy of the report. The bench led by Justice Sayed had also asked if Rao was in the ICU or a regular room, and if his condition needed constant monitoring. “Mr P Varavara Rao’s persistent hyponatremia has improved after sodium correction, but neurological status has not improved clinically as he is still disoriented with irrelevant talks,” the hospital report read. “As on date, considering the co-morbid factors of age, persistent hyponatremia in COVID-19 case, the patient will require close monitoring,” it read. The hospital report also stated that Rao has “paroxysmal bouts of cough”, especially during feeding. During the last hearing, NIA’s counsel Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh had told the court that Rao was being given the “best treatment” at Nanavati and that he would be given the requisite treatment even in prison, therefore, his bail plea on medical grounds need not be allowed by the court. The ASG had reminded the court that Rao had been denied bail on merit on previous occasions by the court and “this was a case in which the petitioner (Rao) was involved in anti-national activities.” Rao and nine other activists have been arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, which was initially probed by the Pune Police and later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The case related to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on 31 December, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. The police have also claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links.