After an affidavit was filed before a special court signed by an advocate who went to Taloja jail to meet lawyer Vernon Gonsalves’s co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon case and learnt from them about his ill-health and lack of proper treatment by Taloja jail authorities, the court on Thursday directed the jail to admit him in JJ hospital if required. He is currently admitted to the hospital.
The court had directed the prosecution as well as the jail superintendent on Tuesday to file their response on Thursday to a temporary bail plea filed for Gonsalves as he suffers from dengue. The prosecution has opposed the plea. The court noted that no response had arrived from the jail authority. It then passed an order that the jail superintendent must remain present before it on Monday, file the response as well as Gonsalves’s medical report and the explanation for not filing the response in time.
Advocate Larsen Furtado said in his affidavit filed before the court that he had visited the Taloja jail on Wednesday for conducting legal interviews of Sagar Gorkhe, Arun Ferreira and Sudhir Dhavale - all co-accused of Gonsalves in the case. He said they were all anxious to convey their apprehension about the deteriorating health of Gonsalves.
His affidavit stated that Gorkhe told him that though the health of Gonsalves was visibly getting bad, he was only being given paracetamol and antibiotics.
Gonsalves was not taken to JJ hospital till his condition deteriorated till he could barely walk or breathe, the affidavit read. Finally, though he was taken to JJ hospital, he was brought back to jail’s hospital, it said. The affidavit had contained a date-wise record kept of Gonsalves’s health condition maintained in a dairy by his co-accused Sudhir Dhawale.
The court on Thursday also directed that Gonsalves be forthwith provided with proper and necessary medical aid. It also directed that the jail authority must submit the compliance made of its order.
Affidavit submitted in court timeline:
Aug 30 - Gonsalves had fever, cough, given paracetamol without examination.
Till Sep 1 - Condition does not improve.
Sep 2 - His co-accused Sudhir Dhawale and other inmates ask a doctor to examine him. He is taken to the jail hospital, where he is given an injection and medicines changed.
Sep 3 - Gonsalves became extremely weak, complains of nausea and dizziness, medicines changes but no checkups.
Sep 4 - no drop in temperature, given injection, still no checkup.
Sep 5 - Gonsalves not in position to walk. Taken to jail hospital, where doc suspected Typhoid or Dengue.
Sep 6 - Tests ruled out Malaria, his BP had gone up, still no tests for Dengue and Typhoid.
Vernon pleads with folded hands to be taken to JJ hospital. Taken in a wheelchair to JJ. Brought back that night.
