Centre exhibiting dual standards in treating prisoners: counsel

Malegaon 2008 blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has been detected with breast cancer, which is in the third stage, Bhagwan Jha, the Sadhvi’s brother-in-law, said at a press conference here on Tuesday. Mr. Jha accused the government of conspiracy and negligence, and blamed it for her illness.

“It is because of the atrocities of the Maharashtra government that she is suffering from cancer. We have been crying hoarse since 2009 that she might be suffering from breast cancer, as she was diagnosed with a cyst. If the government [had] acted responsibly, she would not have suffered,” Mr. Jha said.

Mr. Jha and the lawyers distributed a copy of the medical report of Breach Candy Hospital Trust. “We had sent the sample to the Indian Cancer Society, which concluded that she is suffering from cancer,” Mr. Jha said.

The report, signed by Dr. Sameer Pathan, MD, Breach Candy Hospital Trust and dated July 5, 2012, states that she is suffering from “invasive ductal carcinoma” in the “right breast,” which is “histologic grade III.”

The sample was referred by S.S. Rajput, from the Indian Cancer Society. “He[Dr. Rajput] had specially come to Bhopal to take the sample of Sadhvi ji. We had taken the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s permission for taking the sample and sending it for testing. Accordingly, it was sent from the Swami Vivekanand Regional Spine Centre in Bhopal,” Rameshwar Gite, advocate for the Sadhvi, told The Hindu.

Another counsel of the Sadhvi, Naveen Chomal, criticised the government for dual standards in treating prisoners. “The government is spending crores on Kasab. He is being given VIP treatment. But Sadhvi does not even get treated properly in the hospital. Her bail plea on medical grounds is being denied,” he said.