New Delhi: The Bombay High Court has allowed family members of Telugu poet Varavara Rao to meet him at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital. The 81-year-old is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the hospital.
A bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and VG Bisht said that the meeting would be based on the protocol of the hospital to allow family members of Covid-19 patients to meet patients.
“In view of the statement made by the learned Additional Solicitor General, family members of the petitioner are permitted to visit the petitioner who is admitted in Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital however, subject to hospital protocol and in accordance with the Government norms in respect of the COVID patient,” said the Court.
Varvara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, was found infected with Coronavirus on July 16. After this, he was admitted to Nanavati Hospital.
The court has granted permission after Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, Advocate of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), submitted before the court that the agency has no problem to allow Rao’s family to meet him or be informed of his health status. There is no objection, although it is based on the protocol of the hospital. Rao had filed an application for bail through his lawyer Sudeep Pasbola earlier this month.
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Advocate Pasbola had submitted that “Mr Rao is serious and when his family contacts the jail they are told to call the hospital and when the hospital is contacted, they are told to call the jail. What is the secrecy about his health? His family is in Hyderabad so at least a call can be arranged so that they can talk to him at the hospital.”
“Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital is accordingly directed to submit a report showing the present status of health of the petitioner and the nature of the treatment being given to the petitioner to this Court within three days from the date of communication of this order,” said the Court while directing hospital to submit report on his health.
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The Court has further stated that Bail application would be considered after perusing the report submitted by the Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital and after hearing all the parties through their respective counsel.
Read the Order here;
O28072020350-India Legal Bureau