Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday permitted Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to be shifted to the private Breach Candy Hospital here for medical treatment.
Hany Babu moved the HC on Wednesday morning seeking medical aid for an eye infection which he developed after contracting COVID-19.
The HC said Babu should be shifted to the Breach Candy Hospital on Thursday under police protection, and charges for his treatment there and medicines prescribed will be borne by him and his family.
Hany Babu tested positive for Coronavirus earlier this month and is currently undergoing treatment at the state-run G T Hospital in Mumbai.
Last week, authorities of the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai brought him to the J J Hospital here, from where he was shifted to the G T Hospital.
His wife Jenny Rowena moved the HC on Wednesday morning, seeking interim bail and medical aid for him.
Her counsel, senior advocate Yug Chaudhry, approached a vacation bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade, seeking an urgent hearing on the ground that besides testing positive for Coronavirus, Babu had also developed a severe eye infection and ran the risk of losing vision in his left eye.
Chaudhry said Babu must be checked to rule out the possibility of black fungus.
Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is a rare but serious infection which has been found in several COVID-19 patients.
The bench, accordingly, summoned the G T Hospital's Dean Dr B G Chikhalkar, who appeared with other doctors via video-conferencing and told the bench that Babu was being provided adequate treatment.
The court then asked for a video call to be arranged between the bench and Hany Babu.
When Babu came on the line, he told the HC that he was satisfied with the treatment at the G T Hospital.
"My eye is a little better now. I am satisfied," he said.
The hospital authorities told the HC that they were not equipped to carry out an MRI angio test that had been recommended for Babu's brain by the J J Hospital.
Advocate Chaudhry told the HC that Babu also needed several other specialised tests to be conducted and sought interim bail.
"If the state can't take care of me, let me take care of myself and my life," Chaudhry argued.
The HC said while it won't grant bail to Babu, it could allow him to be shifted to a hospital of his choice. The NIA's counsel, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, opposed it and said the city-based J J Hospital, KEM Hospital, Nair Hospital were all equipped to treat Babu.