Sagar Gorakhe writes to Maha HM: 'Jail officials delaying treatment to Elgar Parishad case accused'

One of the accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case, Sagar Tatyaram Gorakhe has written to state home minister Dilip Walse-Patil alleging that Taloja jail authorities are discriminating against him on several grounds and deliberately delaying medical treatment while he suffers from several serious ailments.

In his letter, Gorakhe raised five demands from the jail authorities.

Gorakhe alleged that basic human rights are being trampled over every day in prison. He claimed, "Even though the court has made clear in its orders regarding access to medical services from external hospitals, the superintendent and medical officials resort to arbitrary decision-making. My co-accused Gautam Navlakha, Ramesh Gaychor, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Surendra Gadling, Anand Teltumbade, and Hany Babu are also afflicted with various illnesses and there has been intentional negligence in their treatment. The medicines (especially ayurvedic) provided by lawyers and families are not being accepted, creating an overall state of helplessness."

Gorakhe also demanded immediate access to medical services from the concerned authorities and action against medical officials for negligence in duty.

He also sought that scanning done by administration and investigation agencies should be stopped at once and with due process, legal action should be taken against the culprits.

In his letter, he alleged that, "Every letter sent to me and to my co-accused has been illegally scanned by the superintendents and sent directly to investigation agencies. By violating the right to privacy guaranteed by the Constitution and trampling the laws the prison administration is committing a crime. Instead of opening the letters in front of us each letter that we receive is already opened and unsealed by the time it reaches us. The books, accompanying papers, and stamps are stolen. Similarly, the letter being sent outside is sent directly for scanning instead of being sealed in front of me."

Gorakhe also demanded that "perversely orchestrated water shortage in the prison" be addressed. Immediately ensure every inmate is provided 135 litres of water, he demanded.

The political prisoner under the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon case also demanded that a permanent visiting room should be immediately constructed, and clean drinking water, sanitation, fans, and other facilities are made available. An up-to-date token system should be implemented as soon as possible, he demanded in the letter.

Pointing out at a purported circular issued by the Prisons and Correctional Services, he claimed that the telephone provision otherwise available to him has been stopped. "According to the principle of equal justice, all undertrial and convicted inmates should receive the services made available during the COVID-19 pandemic with due verification and following the Gujarat and Telangana State Jail telephone facility pattern," he said.

On May 5, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar decried the police actions to slap Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code against activists, saying that such measures suppress liberty and stifle any voice of dissent raised in a peaceful and democratic way. Pawar on May 5 arrived at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai to appear before the Judicial probe commission in the Bhima Koregaon case.

On January 1, 2018, on the day of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle, lakhs of people travelled to Bhima Koregaon village on the outskirts of Pune. While the people were on their way, violence broke out, leaving several people injured. According to Maharashtra police officials, two prominent leaders - Milind Ekbote and Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide - were allegedly the masterminds behind the attack.

(ANI)

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