The Supreme Court Wednesday allowed 82-year-old poet and activist P Varavara Rao, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, to approach the trial court with his plea to travel to Hyderabad for cataract surgery. A three-judge bench of Justices U U Lalit, S R Bhat, and Sudhanshu Dhulia noted that as per its August 10 order, it was directed that Rao shall not leave the area of Greater Mumbai without express permission from the trial court.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for Rao, submitted that the petitioner is 82 years of age and has been advised of cataract surgery.