Varavara Rao must go back to prison as other old people also in jail: NIA to High Court
Mumbai (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday urged the Bombay High Court to direct poet-activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to surrender before the Taloja prison authorities, saying that several "other old people" in need of medical treatment were also in prisons.
The NIA made the submission as a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S V Kotwal extended the time for 83-year-old Rao to surrender till January 7, 2022.
Rao was granted temporary medical bail for six months by the HC in February this year and was supposed to surrender on September 5, but he applied for the extension of such bail, stating that he continued to suffer from several ailments.
The HC has extended his bail multiple times due to reasons like the need for further medical care, and time sought by the NIA to get him medically examined.
On Monday, as Rao's counsel Anand Grover sought time to file an affidavit responding to his medical examination reports submitted by the Nanavati Hospital here, the NIA opposed any further extension of time for surrender.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the NIA, told the HC that on December 17, a panel of expert doctors from the Nanavati Hospital, a private medical facility, submitted a one-page document stating that Rao had been examined thoroughly, his vital parameters were stable, and he did not need continued medical treatment or hospitalisation.
"We are not experts to examine or analyse Nanavati Hospital's opinion. Once it says that he (Rao) is fit for discharge, then there is no question of any further extension," Singh told the HC
"In jail, there are other old people who need medical treatment. They are treated when needed. Let him (Rao) surrender. His age can't be a ground for extension," Singh said.
However, Grover told the bench that though the NIA had submitted Nanavati Hospital's opinion on Rao's medical condition, and his medical reports, he must be permitted to file an affidavit to inform the court whether or not Rao was in a position to be sent back to the prison.
He said in February this year, the bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale had granted medical bail to Rao, despite a similar opinion from the Nanavati Hospital.
"On my original application, Nanavati Hospital had given a similar conclusion. The hospital had said at the time that I (Rao) didn't need indoor hospital treatment and could be discharged from the hospital," Grover said.
But, the HC bench (of Justices Shinde and Pitale) had granted bail observing that Rao's condition was "not compatible for being sent to judicial custody", he said.
The current bench of Justices Jamdar and Kotwal then asked what the NIA had to say about the previous bench's observations.
While ASG Singh reiterated that Rao be asked to surrender and the court could continue to decide his application for further medical bail even while the activist is in custody, the bench found merit in Grover's submissions.
The HC noted that the NIA says it is not necessary to analyse the hospital's preliminary report any further and that it should be accepted as expert opinion.
"However, the earlier bench (of Justices Shinde and Pitale) had considered the larger situation, and analysed the reports despite Nanavati Hospital saying Rao's condition had improved and he was fit for discharge. The counsel's (Grover's) request for this bench following the same course taken by the previous bench is justified," the high court said in its order.
The HC directed Grover to file an affidavit by December 28 and posted the matter for further hearing on January 4, 2022.
But, Singh argued that if the process of granting extensions to Rao continued, "he will never have to surrender".
"In effect, he's being given bail," Singh told the HC. The high court, however, said it was merely going by the earlier bench's order.
The Elgar Parishad case is related to inflammatory speeches made at a 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 police had claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links.
The NIA later took over the probe into the case.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
