Jenny Rowena was expecting a phone call bearing a specific bit of positive news when we spoke to her. She had heard from a few of her trusted sources that her husband, Professor Hany Babu M T, an undertrial prisoner in the Bhima Koregaon will soon be receiving treatment for an acute eye infection that he developed recently.

A professor at the University of Delhi, Babu has been in prison since July 2020. A few days ago, Rowena, who is also a DU professor had released a statement about Babu having an eye infection that has severely affected his vision. "The last I spoke to him was on May 7. At that time, he had complained of this infection which had almost blinded him. He wasn't receiving the proper treatment and this made me panicky," she says.

"He has little or no vision in his left eye due to the swelling, which has spread to the cheek, ear and forehead, compromising other vital organs as well, and posing a significant risk to his life if it spreads to the brain. He is in agonising pain and is unable to sleep or perform daily chores. Due to an acute water shortage in the prison, he does not have access to clean water to even bathe his eye and is forced to dress his eye with soiled towels," reads her statement. "He also has double vision now," she tells us. 

Babu was initially informed by the prison Medical Officer that the prison did not have the facilities to treat his eye infection. He was later taken to an opthalmologist, but his condition showed no improvement. "We have been beside ourselves with anxiety. The thought of Hany Babu having to beg for something as basic as essential health services is heart-wrenching" reads the statement.