Poet Varavara Rao admitted to JJ Hospital, his family to leave for Mumbai

The octogenarian activist has been admitted to the Neurology ward of JJ Hospital.
Poet Varavara Rao admitted to JJ Hospital, his family to leave for Mumbai

Ailing poet Varavara Rao admitted to the Neurology ward of Mumbai’s JJ  Hospital after he was shifted there from Taloja jail on Monday night. Though the family has been kept in dark about these developments by the jail authorities, the family has decided to leave for Mumbai hoping to meet the senior activist. 

On Monday night, the doctors at JJ Hospital said that Rao had been brought for evaluation. He has now been formally admitted to the hospital. According to reports, he was taken to the hospital after a drop in electrolyte levels.

Speaking to TNM, N Venugopal, editor of Veekshanam and nephew of Varavara Rao, said, “We are planning to go to the hospital. But we do not know whether he will be there in the hospital or whether he will be moved back to jail by the time we reach Mumbai. Even last time, they hurriedly discharged and moved him to the prison. Nevertheless, we want to try and catch a glimpse of him.”

Earlier, on May 28, Varavara Rao had been admitted to JJ Hospital, after he collapsed in prison.

Venugopal suspected that the jail authorities might move him back to the prison by July 17. “This so that the authorities can argue in the court that his health is normal and that he is discharged, to deny him bail. This is their old trick. Even now, just before the High Court trial, they have shifted him to hospital,” he alleged.

Accusing the jail authorities of flouting rules by not sharing information about Varavara Rao’s admission to hospital, Venugopal said, “Though it is mandatory to inform the family about these developments, neither the government nor the jail, police, hospital authorities provided any official information to us.”

Varavara Rao has been imprisoned for nearly two years in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case and the alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His family has said that they have been worried about his health since Saturday evening, as he sounded delirious in the phone conversation with the family members, which the family say is due to electrolyte imbalance in his body. The family demanded the government and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to immediately provide medical care to him.    

As his health continued to deteriorate, a campaign to release Varavara Rao has gained momentum on social media. 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com