Elgaar Parishad case: HC extends Hany Babu stay in private hospital till June 1

While restraining the hospital from discharging Babu till June 1, the court has also asked it to furnish a medical report on the status of the infection and the treatment administered to him

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed Breach Candy hospital to seek permission of the court before discharging Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Elgaar Parishad -Bhima Koregaon violence case, who was admitted there for treatment of a severe infection in the left eye following an order of the court on May 19.

DU professor Hany Babu being produced in court in July, 2020. (HT file)

While restraining the hospital from discharging Babu till June 1, the court has also asked it to furnish a medical report on the status of the infection and the treatment administered to him.

A vacation bench of justices SS Shinde and NR Borkar was informed by Babu’s counsel Yug Choudhary that an urgent hearing was sought in the petition filed by the professor’s wife, Jenny Rowena, to ensure that the Breach Candy hospital did not discharge him and send him back to Taloja jail on the grounds that he did not require critical care anymore. The petition seeks interim bail for Babu on medical grounds.

In the earlier hearing on May 19, Choudhary had submitted that Babu had contracted an infection in his left eye and though he complained about it to the prison authorities from May 3- 12, it was not heeded. It was only after he tested positive for Covid and was shifted to GT hospital did Rowena approach the high court as the GT hospital had said they did not have the wherewithal to treat Babu’s eye infection.

The petition will be heard next on June 1.