Romila Thapar. Image Courtesy: The Hindu
Prominent academics Romila Thapar, Prabhat Patnaik and others have appealed to the Maharashtra government and the National Investigation Agency to immediately transfer poet and activist Varavara Rao to JJ Hospital, who is ailing in Mumbai’s Taloja Jail.
Highlighting the reports citing the increasingly worsening health of the 81-year-old Telugu poet, the appeal said that “there is no reason in law or conscience to hold him in circumstances that increase risk to his fragile health”. Rao, who is lodged in jail since two years for the Bhima Koregaon case, has been suffering from low levels of sodium and potassium and was admitted in JJ Hospital earlier this year. However, his treatment was abruptly terminated and he was taken back to Taloja jail, the appeal said.
As per recent reports, Rao’s family has alleged that he is not being provided access to healthcare, even as his health has deteriorated and has started losing coherence during their last correspondence.
Pointing out that this is a life threatening situation for the poet who is already suffering from high blood pressure, the appeal added, “To knowingly risk the life of a person in state custody by refusing proper medical treatment would amount to a form of the “encounter”, an extra-legal punishment which the State institutions are duty-bound to forego.”
Therefore, they request that “the Indian State should ensure that P.Varavara Rao receives immediate and proper treatment and that his family is allowed to look after him during his illness”.
The appeal has been issued by five eminent citizens who are also the petitioners in a case in Supreme Court over the Bhima Koregaon arrests.
The complete statement has been given below.
IMMEDIATE TRANSFER TO A HOSPITAL AND PROMPT TREATMENT FOR VARAVARA RAO
According to press reports and the statement of his family, the renowned Telugu poet and writer, P. Varavara Rao is extremely ill in Taloja jail. He is suffering from low levels of sodium and potassium as diagnosed by the JJ Hospital, Mumbai, where his treatment was abruptly terminated and he was taken back to Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai. This is a life threatening situation for someone who is 81 years of age, and already suffers from high blood pressure and heart conditions.
We appeal to the Government of Maharashtra and the National Investigation Agency to facilitate the immediate transfer of Mr. Varavara Rao to JJ Hospital where he can receive proper treatment. Mr Rao poses no flight risk and has voluntarily submitted to all investigations for the past 22 months. There is no reason in law or conscience to hold him in circumstances that increase risk to his fragile health.
Even before Mr. Rao was arrested, we had been arguing that the investigation should be impartial, speedy and supervised by the judiciary. We have now reached a stage where his life is at stake. To knowingly risk the life of a person in state custody by refusing proper medical treatment would amount to a form of the “encounter”, an extra-legal punishment which the State institutions are duty-bound to forego.
We appeal to the authorities to assure the nation that the Indian State respects the rule of law and the Constitution, by ensuring that P.Varavara Rao receives immediate and proper treatment and that his family is allowed to look after him during his illness.
[Appeal issued by the following five petitioners who had approached the Supreme Court on the matter of the Bhima Koregaon arrests ((Romila Thapar & Ors. Vs. Union of India & Ors., Writ Petition 32319 of 2018).]
Romila Thapar ([email protected])
Prabhat Patnaik ([email protected])
Devaki Jain ([email protected])
Maja Daruwala ([email protected])
Satish Deshpande ([email protected])
