17 June,2016 06:54 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
The High Court said none of the doctors had said that the minister, accused in the Maharashtra Sadan scam, required immediate medical attention
The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected the application of former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Chhagan Bhujbal, seeking bail on medical grounds. The court, while rejecting the application, said that none of the doctors had said that Bhujbal, an accused in the Maharashtra Sadan scam, required any immediate medical attention.
Bhujbal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 12 in the Rs 870 crore money laundering case, is presently in judicial custody in Arthur Road jail.
Senior counsel Amit Desai, who represented Bhujbal told the Bombay High Court Justice P N Deshmukh, that Bhujbal's illnesses were chronic in nature and he required special attention. He said he suffered from a lot of diseases and was 69 years old now.
"He is suffering from sleep apnea, asthma, blood pressure, diabetes, enlarged prostate, bradycardia and several other heart related problems for which he has already undergone angioplasty," said Desai.
Desai argued in the court that at least three months' medical bail should be given to Bhujbal, to get himself treated in a good private hospital of his choice.
"The special committee's report that High Court had asked JJ Hospital doctors to give, has Bhujbal's birthdate wrong. The date and timing mentioned were also wrong. We doubt whether the reports were of Bhujbal," Desai told the court citing a reason for medical bail.
Hiten Venegaonkar, ED's counsel had said the mistakes were because Bhujbal did not remember his birth date properly, and the computers were not functioning at JJ Hospital.
He also told the court that no doctor mentioned that any special and immediate medical attention was required at this moment.
Justice Deshmukh rejected the medical bail application of Bhujbal saying that presently no immediate medical attention is required. Earlier, the Prevention of Money Laundering Court had also rejected the former minister's bail application, on the same grounds.
Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer are behind the bars in the R870 crore money laundering case. The money was generated from kickbacks in the Maharashtra Sadan and Kalina Library scam where the Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a case against them.
