Poet and activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, on Monday was shifted to JJ Hospital after his family demanded immediate medical treatment for him.
On a routine phone call from jail yesterday, they described his condition as "horrifying."
Earlier today, Rao approached the Bombay High Court seeking temporary bail owing to his deteriorating medical condition and the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 80-year-old activist also sought a direction from the court to the prison authorities to produce his medical records.
Rao filed two petitions in the HC through his advocate R Satyanarayan Iyer one challenging a June 26 order passed by the special NIA court rejecting his bail plea and the second seeking a direction to the authorities of Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai to produce his medical records.
Rao, who is behind bars for almost two years, has sought temporary bail considering his medical condition and the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
In the second plea, the poet-activist has sought a direction to the Taloja prison, where he is lodged, to produce his medical records post June 2, 2020, when he was discharged from state-run J J Hospital.
The plea has also urged the court to direct the prison authorities to send Rao for medical check-up immediately and submit reports.
The second petition alleges the jail superintendent had not conducted tests on Rao, as suggested by the JJ Hospital, and hence action should be initiated against the errant officers of the jail.
Both the pleas are likely to be taken up for urgent hearing this week.
