On Friday, a special court ordered that former home minister Anil Deshmukh be transferred to government-owned KEM Hospital for a test and subsequently to JJ Hospital for further treatment for his dislocated shoulder. The court dismissed his plea to be allowed to get transferred to a private hospital for treatment.
The same court, on the other hand, allowed NCP leader and Minister of Minority Development and Aukaf of Maharashtra Nawab Malik to pay for his own treatment at a private hospital.
Malik and Deshmukh have been accused of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). While Malik was arrested in February of this year, Deshmukh was detained in November of 2021 by the central agency. Both had also requested bail on health grounds.
From May 9 to 11, Nawab Malik was permitted to visit a nephrologist for a thorough health checkup in the presence of his family doctors, Dr Saeeda Khan and Dr Sharad Kolke. According to the court, Malik will also be responsible for the costs of family doctors. This was done as a temporary arrangement while his interim bail application was heard in court.
Malik had requested six-week interim bail on the grounds of health concerns. He stated he was suffering from renal problems and needed to go to a private hospital for treatment.
It is worth noting that Urban Naxal Varavara Rao, detained in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, was permitted to be transferred to Nanavati Hospital for treatment. Rao had filed a bail plea and a writ petition on medical grounds in 2020, requesting that he be transferred to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai immediately due to his deteriorating neurological and physical conditions.
Thereafter, following the interference of a Bombay High Court bench of Justices SS Shinde and Madhav Jamdar, the state mentioned that Rao will be transferred from the Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai to the Nanavati Hospital for treatment as a “special case” at the expense of the Maharashtra government.
