HC rejects Varavara Rao's plea for permanent medical bail, extends his temporary bail by 3 months
Mumbai(PTI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected poet-activist Varavara Rao's plea seeking permanent medical bail in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A bench of Justices S B Shukre and G A Sanap, however, extended the time for the 83-year-old activist to surrender before the Taloja prison authorities by three months, to enable him to undergo a cataract surgery.
The bench dismissed Rao's application seeking that he be permitted to stay in Hyderabad instead of Mumbai, while out on bail.
The HC also said it had found substance in several claims made by Rao's counsel Anand Grover on the lack of medical facilities in the Taloja prison, located in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, and poor hygiene conditions there.
The court, therefore, directed Maharashtra Inspector General of prisons to submit a "candid" report on the state of such facilities at the "Taloja prison in particular," and also in all prisons across the state.
The HC directed the IG to submit the report to the court by April 30 this year.
"The IG prisons must ensure that henceforth, there remain no grounds for inmates to raise grievances on inadequate health facilities in prisons across the state," the court said.
It also directed the special NIA court to expedite the trial in the Elgar Parishad case, and to conduct the trial proceedings on a day-to-day basis.
Rao, who has been out of prison on temporary medical bail since February last year, had filed three pleas.
He had sought that his medical bail be extended by another six months, an application seeking modification of his temporary medical bail conditions - he sought that while out on bail, he be permitted to stay in his home town Hyderabad in Telangana, and a plea that he be granted permanent bail on health grounds till the conclusion of the case trial.
His counsel had told the HC that Rao, who has early signs of Parkinson's disease, was living in Mumbai's Bandra area in a conference facility rented out to him by some Christain missionaries.
The NIA's counsel, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, had opposed all of Rao's prayers and urged the HC to send him back to prison.
Singh had argued that hundreds of other inmates, who were senior citizens and suffered from health ailments, continued to remain in prison and were provided with medical care in prison hospital.
The case pertains to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which, the police claimed, triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.
The Pune police had also claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links.
Later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe into the case.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar behind circulation of explicit videos of Prajwal Revanna: G Devaraje Gowda
Bengaluru, May 17: BJP leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda, who is in custody after being arrested in a sexual abuse case, on Friday charged that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and four other ministers were behind the circulation of pen drives allegedly containing explicit videos of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.
He has even alleged that he was offered Rs 100 crore by Shivakumar to "bring a bad name" to BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to tarnish the image of JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in Prajwal Revanna obscene video case.
"D K Shivakumar is behind the pen drive case, a team of four Ministers N Chaluvarayaswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge and another minister was formed to handle this. It was done to bring a bad name to the BJP, PM Modi and Kumaraswamy. I was offered Rs 100 crore," Gowda claimed.
ALSO READ: Court extends interim anticipatory bail granted to HD Revanna till May 20
Speaking to reporters while being taken to the district prison in Hassan, after the police custody ended, he said, "Shivakumar told me 'you say Kumaraswamy is behind the distribution of pen drives. You won't be in problem, I will secure you...it was done to destroy Kumaraswamy's leadership in the state. As I did not agree, I'm being fixed in cases."
"They tried to fix me in a sexual harassment and rape case against me, but found no evidence. Now, they are trying to fix me in the pen drive case," he alleged, and said former MLC M A Gopalaswamy of Channarayapatna was sent for negotiations.
The 33-year-old Prajwal Revanna is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. The issue as raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.
An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against Prajwal in an effort to bring him back.
He was BJP-JD(S) alliance's joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase on April 26.
While the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases, the BJP and JD(S) -- NDA partners -- have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action be taken against those behind the wide circulation of explicit videos.
