SC directs AIIMS to set up board to examine health condition of NewsClick founder
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The Supreme Court directed AIIMS on Tuesday to establish a medical board to assess the health condition of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, who is currently detained in Tihar Jail under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta instructed the director of AIIMS to form the board and furnish a report within two weeks.
"In light of these circumstances, it is deemed appropriate that the medical condition be evaluated by a board appointed by the AIIMS director. The board shall also review the jail records and complete medical history of the petitioner," the bench stated.
This direction followed senior advocate Kapil Sibal's assertion, representing Purkayastha, that the prison authorities' report concerning his client's medical state was inaccurate.
On October 13, the Delhi High Court rejected the appeals filed by Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, the head of the news portal's human resources department, challenging their arrest and subsequent police remand in the case.
Both individuals were apprehended by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3.
As per the FIR lodged in the case, substantial funds purportedly arrived at the news portal from China with the alleged intent to "undermine the sovereignty of India" and foster disaffection against the nation.
Furthermore, it was alleged that Purkayastha collaborated with a group named People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to disrupt the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.