Pinnacle court extends Varavara Rao’s bail

The Bombay tribunal last year granted bail to Rao, 83, on medical grounds and he was to surrender on Tuesday

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended Telugu poet and activist P Varavara Rao’s bail till further orders because the hearing of his plea for it had been adjourned at letter of invitation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case associated with violence at Bhima Koregaon near Pune in 2018 against him et al..

The Bombay tribunal last year granted bail to Rao, 83, on medical grounds. He was to surrender on Tuesday after the court refused to increase the bail on April 13 and granted him three months to surrender, prompting him to maneuver the highest court.

A bench of justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat, and Sudhanshu Dhulia posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday because the period for surrender was expiring. When the matter was concerned, lawman Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NIA, sought an adjournment and failed to object to the extension of the protection.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, who appeared for Rao, failed to object to NIA’s request.

The bench, which posted the matter for hearing next on July 19, said, “The protection enjoyed by the petitioner shall insure to his benefit till further orders.”

Mehta objected to the words “till further orders” and requested the protection be specifically granted till July 19 because the same may be potentially misused. The bench said, “If some situation occurs on the following date and therefore the matter isn't obsessed, we don't want the person to be picked up.”

In his appeal to the highest court, Rao said he has spent two years in jail since he was taken into custody in November 2018. He added he underwent cataract surgery and suffered several age-related complications. Rao said advancing age and deteriorating health are a fatal combination while seeking permission to shift him to his native Hyderabad.

Rao, who faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, cited the pace of the trial and added it might not end within a decade. He stated the death of Father Stan Swamy, who was also arrested in reference to the identical case, in custody before the trial could start.