Varavara Rao's family demands official update from Maha govt on activist's health
By Newsmeter Network Published on 20 July 2020 1:27 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Varavara Rao's family on Monday, July 20, published an official appeal to the Maharashtra Government, demanding all official updates on the ill health of the Telugu activist.
His wife Hemlatha and daughters Sahaja, Anala, Pavana, wrote that ever since Rao was shifted to JJ Hospital last week, they have not been receiving any direct information from official sources. The only information that was disclosed to them was of the activist being COVID-positive.
After several human rights organisations interfered and demanded better treatment facilities, Rao was shifted to the St George Hospital. He was finally taken to Nanavati hospital on July 19 where doctors discovered an injury in Varavara Rao's head, which had happened after a small accident at the JJ hospital.
None of this information was disclosed to the family on a first-hand basis. They allege that whatever information they received was from unofficial sources in the media or other secondary sources.
When the activist was moved to St George, the family had to call up and confirm from the jail authorities. The deterioration of his health in the next two days was only made aware to them through unofficial sources and sympathisers.
The family wrote that it is a judicial right that they be provided updates on Rao's health by official sources. Since the absence of official information is leading to a number of virulent rumours being spread, they say that it has become a cause of grave worry.
"It is the family's right to get official transparent updates on his health status, line of treatment and probable risks, but the concerned prison, police and health administrations in a gross dereliction of their duties have not come out to family with the much needed information," they wrote.
The family further demanded that the Maharashtra government allow one family member to attend to him since he is not in a position to look after himself. They requested that police and hospital authorities provide them with official updates twice a day, as long as he is ill.
They also demanded to enable a judicial process within which Rao can seek bail on the grounds of ill health, age, or COVID.
An accused in the Elgar Parishad case, Rao was shifted to JJ Hospital after he collapsed in his cell at Tajola jail last week.
