A Delhi court refused to allow a plea of top Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy to be referred to the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences following his allegation that he was not being provided with proper medical care at Tihar jail.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja, after going through reports submitted by the Tihar jail authorities and a senior medical officer, said there was no need to issue any direction on the application of Ghandy. 63-year-old Ghandy had in an application alleged he was not given proper medical care in the prison for several ailments he is suffering from. He also claimed his health had deteriorated as he continued to suffer from pain in different parts of the body.
He had also sought a direction to the jail authorities to refer him to AIIMS or Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.However, Tihar Jail Superintendent and senior medical officer, who appeared before the court on its direction, submitted Ghandy was being provided with adequate medical treatment.
Besides, they claimed Ghandy, a Central Committee member of banned CPI (Maoist), was being treated with regular physiotherapy and he had also been taken outside for treatment in the past as and when required. Taking the response of the two top officials into account, the court disposed of the application of Ghandy.
Ghandy, arrested on September 20 last year, has been lodged in Tihar jail here in judicial custody. He was accused of trying to set up a network of CPI (Maoist) here. The police invoked provisions of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act besides booking him for various offences under IPC relating to cheating, forgery and impersonation.
