Bombay HC Seeks Medical Report Of Jailed Activist Sudha Bharadwaj From Jail Authorities

Bombay High Court has sought a report on the health condition of lawyer and activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, by May 17.

The bench headed by Justice KK Tated and Justice Abhay Ahuja directed Maharashtra prison authorities to submit the report after hearing a plea filed by Sudha Bharadwaj's daughter Maaysha Singh. Singh asked for an interim medical bail for her mother.

Subha Bharadwaj is currently in Byculla women's prison, she will be taken to JJ hospital for a medical check-up on Thursday.

Why did Sudha Bharadwaj's daughter seek medical bail for her mother?

Submitting the petition by Maaysha Singh, Advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhary raised concerns about the conditions of the prison in which Subha Bharadwaj is lodged. He claimed that Bharadwaj is being kept in a jail ward with 50 other women and in "extremely unsanitary conditions without any possibility of physical distancing".

The lawyer also told the court that Bharadwaj is suffering from comorbidities and the conditions of the prison have put her at risk. He raised concerns about the kind of medical attention given to inmates in prisons during the pandemic.

What did the prison authorities say?

In reply to Maaysha Singh's plea, Additional public prosecutor  J P Yagnik replied on the behalf of prison authorities and said that the Bharadwaj will be taken to JJ Hospital for a check-up and the report will be submitted to the court within a week.

However, National Investigation Agency's (NIA) counsel Advocate Sandesh Patil said that there is no urgency in the matter and that they will be unable to provide the court with a report within a week due to the limitations during a pandemic. NIA has been probing the Elgar Parishad case.

The bench directed, "We understand that officers are working at 15 % capacity, let us see the medical report first." The court then directed the prison authorities to provide them with the medical report by May 17, the next hearing of the case will take place on May 21.

What is the Elgar Parishad case?

The Elgar Parishad case is one of the two cases connected with Koregaon Bhim violence which took place on January 1, 2018. An FIR was filed in Pune alleging that banned Naxalite groups had organised an evening program named Elgar Parishad in Pune on December 30, 2017. It was a day before the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. The police have alleged that the gathering, Elgar Parishad, was partly responsible for the violence that broke out the next day.