The Supreme Court today refused to entertain an application filed by 85-year-old P. Varavara Rao, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, seeking relaxation of the bail condition requiring him to obtain prior permission from the Trial Court before leaving the Greater Mumbai area.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi dismissed Rao’s plea as withdrawn after brief submissions from Senior Advocate Anand Grover.

Grover argued that Rao, who has been on bail for four years, is in declining health. He informed the Court that earlier Rao’s wife took care of him but has now moved to Hyderabad, leaving him without support. “Even today, he collapsed due to dizziness,” Grover told the bench. He added that while Rao receives free healthcare in Telangana, in Mumbai he incurs expenses exceeding his Rs.50,000 pension, spending around Rs.76,000 monthly.

Justice Maheshwari, however, remarked: “Government will take care of his health… otherwise go to the same Court, we are not interested.” The Court also declined to record Grover’s request that Rao be permitted to renew his application at a later stage.

The case is still at the Section 207 CrPC stage, with the trial not expected to conclude soon. Ultimately, the application was dismissed as withdrawn.

In August 2022, a bench led by then CJI UU Lalit had granted Rao medical bail, noting his advanced age, serious health concerns, and over 2.5 years of custody. The Court had directed that he not leave Greater Mumbai without Special NIA Court approval, not misuse his liberty, and not contact witnesses. It clarified that bail was solely on medical grounds and not on merits of the case.

The present application sought modification of para 18(b)(i) of the 2022 bail order, but the Supreme Court refused to relax the restriction today.

Case Title: P. VARAVARA RAO AND ANR. v. UNION OF INDIA AND ANR. | MA 1675-1676/2025 in Crl.A. No. 1206/2022