Bombay HC asks Mumbai private hospital not to release DU prof Hany Babu till June 3

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed a private hospital not to discharge Hany Babu, a Delhi University associate professor arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, till June 3. A vacation bench of Justices S S Shinde and Abhay Ahuja said if the Breach Candy Hospital where he is admitted wishes to send him back to prison before June 3, it must seek the court's permission.

The court had passed similar orders last week which were extended till Thursday as it could not conduct further hearing on the plea filed by Babu's wife due to lack of time. Babu, lodged in Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, tested positive for COVID-19 in May this year, after which he was admitted to J J Hospital and later to G T Hospital, both run by the state government.

Babu's wife Jenny Rowena filed a petition seeking interim bail for him on health grounds and also seeking medical aid. His lawyer Yug Chaudhry told the HC last week that Babu had developed a severe eye infection and could lose vision in his left eye.

On May 19, the HC allowed him to be shifted to Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai for treatment at his own expense. On Tuesday, Chaudhry stated that Babu's eye infection was "getting better" but he still needed medical care. The state prison authority also submitted a medical report on Babu's condition. The court said it will continue the hearing on June 3.

Babu was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July 2020. The Elgar Parishad case relates to 'inflammatory' speeches made at a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered caste violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in the district. The Pune police claimed the conclave was backed by Maoists. The case was later taken over by the NIA. Several other activists including Sudha Bharadwaj, Stan Swamy and Varavara Rao have been arrested in the case.