Varavara Rao Need Not Surrender Till September 25, Says Bombay High Court

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) opposed Varavara Rao's plea for the extension of medical bail and to shift to Hyderabad from Mumbai.

The Bombay High Court on Monday adjourned till September 24 the hearing on the plea for interim bail extension of poet-activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, and said he need not surrender to Taloja prison authorities till September 25. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the case, opposed Mr Rao's plea for the extension of medical bail and to shift to Hyderabad from Mumbai, saying his medical reports did not indicate that he suffers from any serious medical ailment. Mr Rao (82), who was granted interim bail on medical grounds in February 22 this year, was scheduled to surrender and return to judicial custody on September 5. But, last week, the activist, through lawyer R Sathyanarayanan and senior counsel Anand Grover, filed an application seeking extension of the bail.