A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Friday rejected the plea of poet-activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, seeking permission to travel to Hyderabad for cataract surgery.

The Supreme Court had, in August, granted medical bail to the 82-year old activist, with his bail conditions being set by the special NIA court presiding over the case. Among the bail conditions laid down for Rao, who was arrested on August 28, 2018 from his Hyderabad residence in the case, was that he would reside within the limits of Greater Mumbai and not leave the city without prior permission of the NIA court.