Varavara Rao's condition improved, but to remain at private hospital, says Bombay High Court

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said the condition of poet-activist Varavara Rao, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, had improved but he will continue to remain at a private hospital till 14 December. A division bench of justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik perused a medical report submitted by the Nanavati Hospital where Rao was admitted on 18 November. “There is some slight improvement. He shall continue to remain admitted there till 14 December,” the court said. The court will hear the petition filed by Rao seeking bail on medical grounds on 14 December. On 18 November, the high court had noted that Rao was 81 years old, suffered from neurological ailments and also needed post-COVID-19 care after recovering from the viral infection. A person was on death bed and in such circumstances the state government cannot say that he should be treated in the jail, the court had said. Following the court’s observations, the Maharashtra government had on 18 November agreed to shift Rao from Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai to Nanavati Hospital and also to bear the expenses of his treatment. The high court on Thursday said that the lawyers of the petitioners as well as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, shall go through the medical report, and posted the matter for further hearing on 14 December. Rao had been in and out of the state-run JJ hospital in the city and the Taloja prison hospital since his arrest in June 2018. On 16 July, he tested positive for coronavirus and was shifted to the Nanavati Hospital. He was discharged on 30 July and sent back to the prison. His and his wife’s petitions claimed that he was suffering from several ailments. Rao and a few other Left-leaning activists were arrested for alleged links with Naxals following the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on 31 December, 2017.