NIA court denies Mahesh Raut permission to travel to Kerala for medical treatment

The court said adequate treatment options are available in Mumbai and permitting him to travel to another state would dilute territorial restrictions imposed by the Bombay High Court

MUMBAI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has rejected an application filed by Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut seeking permission to travel to Kerala for medical treatment. The court said adequate treatment options are available in Mumbai and permitting him to travel to another state would dilute territorial restrictions imposed by the Bombay High Court.

NIA court denies Mahesh Raut permission to travel to Kerala for medical treatment

Raut had sought permission to travel to an ayurvedic institution in Kerala for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome. While the court accepted that Raut does suffer from the said ailments, it held that he had failed to demonstrate that such treatment was unavailable or ineffective in Mumbai. The court noted that Mumbai and its surrounding areas offer extensive medical facilities and observed that there was no material to show that travel to Kerala was medically indispensable.

Rejecting the plea, Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar pointed out that earlier permissions granted to Raut on medical grounds had been confined to Mumbai or its vicinity and that allowing him to travel outside Maharashtra would run contrary to the conditions imposed by the High Court, which expressly restricted him from leaving the court’s jurisdiction without prior permission.

Raut was arrested by the Pune police in June 2018 in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon village on January 1, 2018, in which one person was killed. The NIA, which later took over the probe, has alleged that the violence was instigated by provocative speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in December 2017 at Pune’s Shaniwarwada. Raut has remained in custody since his arrest.