Jailed human rights defender Stan Swamy on Friday told the Bombay High Court that he did not wish to be admitted to a hospital, and urged the court to consider his request for interim bail, legal website Bar and Bench reported.
“I have been there twice. I am not for being hospitalised in JJ Hospital. It will not improve, it will keep going. I would rather die here very shortly if things go on as it is,” Swamy, an under-trial prisoner in the Bhima Koregaon case told the court.
Swamy, 84, suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
On Friday, Swamy appeared before a bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and SP Tavade from Taloja jail via video-conferencing.
The court had on Wednesday directed the prison authorities to produce Swamy before it through video conference.
During the previous hearing in the case on May 19, the court had directed prison authorities to take him to Sir JJ Hospital and submit his medical report on May 21.
The medical report said that he suffered from extreme hearing loss in both ears, and tremors. It also said that he needed a walking stick or a wheelchair.
Swamy also informed the Court that when he was brought to the Court eight months ago, he came with a functional body but since then, his health has steadily deteriorated, according to the Bar and Bench report.
“I was taken to JJ hospital and there were a lot of people but I had no opportunity to explain what I should be given. There are some medicines which the jail authorities game me, but my deterioration is more powerful than the tablets they are giving me,” Swamy told the court.
He went on to say: “The only thing I request is to consider for interim bail. I have been in deteriorating condition. I would rather be in Ranchi. I do not think any of that (hospitalisation) is going to help.”
Swamy’s lawyer Mihir Desai said to the court that keeping him in Taloja would not be a solution as the jail prison lacks facilities.
“They do not even have MBBS doctors,” he said.
“He is suffering from age related problems. He is an intelligent man, he is pressing for interim bail because he knows he is suffering from age related problems,” the court observed while deducing that Swamy’s general ailments were due to old age.
The court posted the matter for hearing on 7 June.
