Lawyer Surendra Gadling, arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case, on Wednesday told the court that he was not being referred to for a medical examination by the jail authorities despite a court order. Gadling also sought that CCTV footage of the Taloja Central Prison, where he is lodged, be preserved. Following this, Special Judge Dinesh E Kothalikar directed the jail superintendent to preserve the CCTV footage and provide clone copies of the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to Gadling. “The Superintendent of Taloja Central Prison is directed to preserve the CCTV footage recording, which is available in the DVR as on today and herein after till further order,” the court said directing the superintendent to also submit a report to it on the supply of copies to the accused. Gadling had in a separate plea said that he was not being permitted to carry ayurvedic medicines by the jail superintendent despite the court’s permission. Other accused in the case have also made similar pleas. The court directed a response from the prison. Gadling, who represents himself in court, also sought access to a laptop in court. “In the peculiar facts of the present case, which wholly rests on electronic evidence, the accused needs to be facilitated to read and study the electronic evidence in the jail so as to meet the prosecution case and prepare proper defence. It says that he has sought permission to use his laptop without Internet facility, ruling out any misuse, the jail authorities may apprehend,” he said. In a handwritten note, Gadling also submitted that the accused in the Malegaon 2008 blast case, including Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, retired major Ramesh Upadhyay and others, were permitted the use of laptops in Taloja jail following an order by the trial court. Gadling’s plea said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had given its no-objection to their pleas, while opposing his, alleging “political bias”.
