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Journalism of Courage
The Delhi High Court today permitted Kanshi Ram’s 93-year-old mother and two brothers to meet the BSP leader during visiting hours at the Batra Hospital, where the ailing leader is admitted for the past eight months.
The family members had alleged that they were not being allowed to visit him. Justice O.P. Dwivedi also directed the hospital to file the complete medical records specifically mentioning the degree of toxin contents present in his blood.
Kanshi Ram’s mother Bishan Kaur moved the court alleging that he was ‘‘being kept as a virtual prisoner’’ at the hospital and sought free access to the ailing BSP leader. The court also listed the matter for hearing on June 23 without passing any order on the family’s plea to hand over the custody of the patient to them.
Kanshi Ram’s brothers Harbans Singh and Dalbara Singh had expressed doubts about the treatment being given to him. They said that they ‘‘apprehend threat to Kanshi Ram’s life.’’ The family has alleged that Kanshi Ram is being administered sedatives and being restrained from stepping out of the hospital.
The petitioners also alleged that during the last eight months they had come to Delhi at least 10 times but were not allowed to meet Kanshi Ram and instead his brother-in-law was attending on him. But the hospital has denied in its affidavit that no relatives were ever stopped from meeting the ailing leader.
The affidavit also mentions that various party leaders of BSP including former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati and other MPs have been regularly visiting him.
