A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Friday, 23 September, rejected the plea of poet-activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, seeking permission to travel to Hyderabad for cataract surgery.
The Supreme Court had, in August, granted medical bail to the 82-year old activist, with his bail conditions being set by the special NIA court presiding over the case.