Court: Produce Mane’s psychiatrist or file affidavit

Last week,Agarwal had submitted an application requesting the court to shift Mane from Yerawada Central Prison to the Region Mental Hospital,Yerawada. Substantiating the application,Agarwal said although the mental hospital’s report was accepted,statements of his elder brother and Dr Burte were not considered by the court. Agarwal expressed fear that since Mane is no longer on medication,his symptoms might resurface and jail authorities would not be able to control him. Also,the jail is not equipped to treat mentally ill patients,he said. “A mental hospital is like a jail and it won’t make much of a difference if he is kept there,” he added.

Assistant public prosecutor A K Pacharne opposed Agarwal’s contention stating that the MSRTC had no record of Mane’s mental illness and that sending him to the mental hospital would be against public interest.