81-year-old Telugu poet and Telangana speaker, Varavara Rao’s lawyer Sandeep Pasbola reported to the Bombay High Court yesterday that his client is “almost on his deathbed”. Rao was imprisoned in the Elgar Parishad case, since 2018 in Mumbai. A week ago, he was tested positive for covid-19. In the wake of his worsening health condition, his family, public, students and teachers earlier demanded to release him. Later he was shifted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai.

“His condition is very serious. He hit his head against the hospital bed while he was at the JJ Hospital and sustained severe injuries. Besides Covid-19, he suffers from several ailments, he is hallucinating and is delirious.” Pasbola said that if Rao were to die, it should be in the presence of his family”.

It was speculated that Varavara Rao’s health had been deteriorating and was going to be shifted to Nanavati hospital. Meanwhile his wife and daughters out of fear, demanded official information regarding his health. They asserted in anguish that a transparent health updates be communicated to them every now and then.

As per the media reports, the family has complained that hiding the health updates of a person in judicial custody is “illegal, unconstitutional and inhuman”.