Rana Kapoor fears COVID-19 infection in jail, seeks bail

Mumbai : Fearing infection by the coronavirus in jail, Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor on Friday applied for bail in the money-laundering case in which he is lodged in Taloja Prison, Raigad, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In his bail plea - filed before the Special PMLA Court through his lawyer Subhash Jadhav - Kapoor has contended that his present medical condition puts him at risk of catching the Coronavirus behind bars.

He has listed his medical condition of chronic immuno-deficiency syndrome that can aggravate into lung infections, sinus and skin diseases, besides suffering from bronchial asthma which needs inhalers, hypertension and anxiety which have been treated in the midst of his family since the past nearly two years.

Kapoor, 62, further claimed that in view of his medical condition, he could get severe lung infection leading to death at his age, and hence pleaded that he should be given proper home-cooked food for which he was required to stay at home.

The Special Court has directed the ED to submit Kapoor's medical records, and asked the jail authorities to monitor his health properly. The court posted the matter for further hearing on Monday.

Kapoor was arrested by the ED early morning of March 8, just before the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Maharashtra, and has been in custody since then.