Varavara Rao was arrested in August 2018 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, which alleges Maoist links of several activists.

Hyderabad: Veteran poet and activist Varavara Rao, aged 85, an accused in the Elgar Parishad–Maoist links case, has been denied permission to travel to Hyderabad for dental treatment and stay there for two months.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mumbai, presided over by Special Judge Chakor Baviskar, rejected his petition on Thursday.

The judge observed that the proposed treatment could be undertaken in Mumbai itself.

“If, as your lawyer says, you have financial constraints, there are several government and charitable hospitals in Mumbai that provide free treatment. As mentioned in your petition, your elder daughter, a government officer in Telangana, can assist you financially to undergo treatment here,” the judge stated.

Varavara Rao was arrested in August 2018 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, which alleges Maoist links of several activists.