Bombay High Court asks JJ Hospital to form expert panel to examine Stan Swamy

The Bombay High Court directed the Taloja prison authorities on Wednesday to take Jesuit priest Stan Swamy an accused in the Elgar ParishadMaoist links case to JJ Hospital here for a medical examinationSwamy 84 must be examined at the staterun medical facility at 1030 am on Thursday it saidA vacation bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade directed the hospitals dean to form a committee of expert doctors including a neurophysician an ENT specialist an orthopaedic a general physician and other doctors required to examine SwamyThe bench also directed the state government to submit a report of the medical examination before the HC by May 21The court asked authorities of the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai where Swamy is lodged to arrange for him to be produced before the HC via videoconferencing at 4 pm on May 21 if the prison has such facilitiesSwamy had approached the HC earlier this year through senior counsel Mihir Desai challenging a special courts decision in March wherein the latter rejected his bail sought on medical grounds and on meritsAlso Read Bombay High Court summons hospital dean on Hany Babus plea for medical aidDuring the last hearing in the HC on May 4 a bench led by Justice Shinde directed the state authorities to file a report on Swamys current health condition by May 15Advocate Desai had then told the bench that Swamy was arrested in October 2020 and since his arrest he has remained in the Taloja prison hospitalSwamy is in the advanced stage of Parkinsons disease Desai had said He has lost the ability to hear and given the raging Covid19 pandemic the court must at least grant Swamy temporary bail the advocate had saidOn Thursday the state and the National Investigation Agency NIA which is conducting a probe into the Elgar ParishadMaoist links case opposed Swamys bail pleaThe states counsel Y P Yagnik told the HC that Swamy was being taken care of in the prison He said Swamy was being provided hot water for bathing a sipper cup hearing aid and two attendants to assist him in the prisonYagnik also said Swamy was taken to the JJ Hospital on Tuesday evening and given the first dose of vaccine against Covid19Advocate Desai however pointed out that inmates were being administered the vaccine in the prison itself and not in hospitalsThe NIAs counsel Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the HC that in the past Swamy himself had expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided to him in the Taloja prisonBut advocate Desai said Swamy suffered from various medical ailments and his health had further deteriorated in the past few weeksOn May 17 Desai filed a note in the HC stating that Swamys health condition was further deterioratingAs per the note Swamy complained of fever and weakness He was taking several allopathic medicines including antibiotics prescribed by the Taloja hospitals Ayurveda doctors it saidThe note reiterated that given his illhealth and severe comorbidities Swamy was at the risk of contracting coronavirus infection and his life was under imminent threat due to his medical condition advanced age and lack of medical facilities at the Taloja prisonThe HC will hear the plea further on May 21 The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at a conclave held in Pune on December 31 2017 which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the KoregaonBhima war memorial in the district The Pune police claimed the conclave was backed by MaoistsThe case was later taken over by the NIA Several other activists including Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao had been arrested in the caseThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever