Elgar Parishad case: 80-year-old Varavara Rao tests COVID positive at JJ hospital

Amid deteriorating health, poet and activist - Varavara Rao has tested COVID-19 positive on Thursday, as per sources. 80-year-old who is one of nine activists arrested in Elgar Parish case, was mitted to JJ Hospital after he complained of dizziness. Rao who has been lodged for almost two years in Taloja jail, was moved to JJ Hospital after his family complained that Rao was disoriented and confused while speaking, due to a fall in sodium and potassium levels.

Objectionable tweets against Aitya Thackeray, Uddhav gets Nagpur resident booked

hir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to PM Modi

On Tuesday, Congress Lok Sabha MP hir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to PM Modi seeking his intervention in case stating, "A person of 81 years of has been languishing in jail for years without kwing his offence, w he has been mentally disoriented, having medical assistance". He ded that Rao cant be 'a threat to one of strongest countries in world'. Rao, who has sought temporary bail owing to his deteriorating health, has alrey denied bail by an NIA court on June 26.

Varavara Rao who is booked under UAPA taken to JJ Hospital in Mumbai

What is Elgar Parish case?

Pune police booked activists Sudha Bharwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vern Gonsalves, Surendra Gling, Sudhir Dhawale, P Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde for allegedly inciting Bhima Koregaon violence through ir speech at Elgar Parish meeting on December 31, 2017, under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). On following day - January 1, 2018, violence h erupted at Koregaon-Bhima vill in Pune district where supporters h gared in vill to commemorate 200th anniversary of Battle of Bhima Koregaon. ensuing violence h resulted in death of one person and several ors h been injured - 152 have been arrested.

Bhima Koregaon case: Delhi HC pulls up NIA for 'frantic transfer' of Navlakha to Mumbai

above-mentioned activists have been charged with  'conspiracy to assassinate PM Narendra Modi', 'overthrow government', 'waging war against Government of India'. y are also being probed for links with banned CPI (Maoists) party.  If convicted under 'waging war against India', all activists face death sentence or imprisonment for life. Once new Maha Vikas Aghi government came into power, it mulled to review case, leing to NIA taking over case on January 24.  Within 10 days - on February 3, NIA registered an FIR in Elgar Parish case charging 11 people under provisions of anti-terror law UAPA and several IPC sections. 

Poet Varavara Rao moves HC for bail in Elgar Parish case