JJ Hospital dean denies role in referring Chhagan Bhujbal to Bombay Hospital

In his reply to the court, TP Lahane said the hospital does not have any role in the NCP leader’s stay at Bombay Hospital, where he had checked in for thallium scan...

A former activists from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has questioned JJ hospital’s recommendation to Bombay Hospital for treating Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chaggan Bhujbal, booked in a money laundering case, on Thursday.

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal (HT File Photo)

Questioning the treatment given to Bhujbal and his health, Anjali Damania contended before the court that his medical reports were also ‘manufactured’. Damania pointed out that JJ hospital misused the court order, allowing Bhujbal to conduct one test at a private hospital.

Damania referred to JJ hospital’s letter to Bombay Hospital, asking the latter to give necessary treatment and conduct tests on Bhujbal. She said the hospital clearly crossed the boundary.

Damania had moved the court through an application questioning the long hospitalisation of Bhujbal. She alleged negligence and connivance of JJ Hospital and Arthur Road jail authority behind it. She had also alleged that court orders were misused, as the thallium scan does not require admission into a hospital.

Bhujbal, an accused in the multi-crore money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate, was discharged from the Bombay Hospital on Wednesday and sent to the state-run facility after his stay admission at the hospital, since November 2, prompted criticism that he was receiving “preferential treatment”.

In the midst of the controversy, a lawyer appeared on Bhujbal’s behalf seeking permission to intervene in the hearing as it directly affects Bhujbal. The court has now allowed Bhujbal to intervene. The hearing on Damania’s plea is now scheduled for Friday morning.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) too filed a reply giving a list of people who had visited the senior politician in the hospital along with CCTV footage. The PMLA court was recently informed that the former Maharashtra deputy chief minister continued to remain in the private hospital over a month after he was admitted there for the medical test.

On October 27, Special Judge PR Bhavake had allowed Bhujbal to be taken to a private hospital after he was told that a thallium scan, one of the three tests recommended to him, was not available at the government hospital. On October 28, prison authorities took Bhujbal to JJ Hospital for other two tests. He was then transferred to Bombay Hospital.