Anjali Damania questioned the reason behind a bank chairman’s visit and that too after demonitization and while Bhujbal was in judicial custody
The Enforcement directorate (ED) on Thursday submitted a list of 25 people including MPs and MLAs who had visited NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal when he was in Bombay Hospital. Meanwhile, social activist Anjali Damania, after going through Bhujbal’s health report maintained that the politician is as fit as Virat Kohli and that the medical team which had suggested his treatment needs to be replaced.
ED counsel and advocate Hiten Venegonkar informed the court presided over by judge PR Bhawake that the visitors in the list saw Bhujbal between November 22 and 29.
“There is a violation and there is no doubt about that. He should have been brought back to JJ Hospital immediately,” he added.
Sources say two names in the list are of Vishwas Thakur, chairman of a Nashik-based bank, and Ajay Chaudhary, MLA.
Damania questioned the reason behind a bank chairman’s visit and that too after demonitization and while Bhujbal was in judicial custody. “This is something that will raise eyebrows,” she said.
After his arrest in the case of alleged irregularities in the construction of the state guest house in Delhi, Maharashtra Sadan, and the Kalina land-grabbing case in Mumbai, former PWD minister Bhujbal cited health reasons and got himself admitted in JJ Hospital. Since certain tests were not available there, he was shifted to a private hospital. There, Bhujbal was regularly visited by many people.
Damania had intervened saying that after the tests he was to be sent back to jail, but he was sent to a private hospital instead. Neither the jail superintendent bothered to find out where the accused was nor did the dean of the hospital communicate to the jail authorities or the private hospital. This, she said, allowed Bhujbal to stay outside jail for over 41 days. This is the third time that Bhujbal has been outside jail on medical grounds.
Damania, while addressing the issue to the court, said that it was only for the thallium stress test that he was sent to a private hospital and that was done on him immediately. “The report states that he is as fit as any sportsman like Virat Kohli. Going by that report, he should be immediately sent back to jail. They are now saying that an angiography is needed on him. Why did they not do it all these days,” she said.
Furthermore, Damania held the dean of JJ Hospital equally responsible for this illegal extended stay of Bhujbal in a hospital. “I pray that he should be immediately removed from the management of this accused person’s health. This needs to be investigated by the principal secretary home and medical department, if possible, and they should refer the case to Bombay High Court for contempt proceedings against those responsible for this lapse,” she said.
Meanwhile JJ Hospital dean Dr TP Lahane marked his presence before the court and said that there was no lapse on his part. He claimed that when the reports from Bombay Hospital came he had forwarded them to the jail superintendent. “The decision of performing coronary angiography at JJ Hospital or Bombay Hospital needs to be taken by the superintendent of jail,” he said. He also denied that it was because of him that Bhujbal was staying at Bombay Hospital.
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 "Chhagan Bhujbal")
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