Chhagan Bhujbal refuses angiography test

Mumbai: Former deputy minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who refused to go in for an angiography test in the state-run JJ Hospital, will be back in Arthur Road prison on Wednesday morning at 11 am, according to prison authorities.

Bhujbal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case in March, is in judicial custody and was shifted to Bombay Hospital from the state-run JJ Hospital on November 2 due to a heart ailment. He was shifted back to JJ Hospital on Wednesday evening on the directions of the Arthur Road prison authorities. Bhujbal was supposed to undergo a coronary angiography test in JJ Hospital.
            
While talking to The Asian Age, Arthur Road jail superintendent Harshad Aherao said, “We have informed the court and it has directed us to take back undertrial Bhujbal at 11 am on Wednesday.”

After Bhujbal’s refusal to get a coronary angiography conducted, JJ Hospital’s dean T. P. Lahane conveyed the same to prison authorities, saying that since Bhujabal had refused to get the angiography done, they could force him for the same. While talking to The Asian Age, Dr. Lahane said, “After getting Bhujbal from Bombay Hospital, we asked him to go for in angiography, but he refused. We tried insisting.”

Dr Lahane said, “Since he came to me as a patient, it was my duty to give him the necessary treatment. But he is not ready for angiography and so we informed the jail authorities to take a call on him.”

Since jail authorities have not shifted him back to Arthur Road jail yet, Dr Lahane said, “We have informed the jail authorities that they can take Bhujbal back, but they haven’t replied.”

Time in hospital

• October 12: Gets discharged from JJ Hospital after a stay of 25 days.
• October 28: Admitted to JJ hospital to undergo prescribed tests.
• November 3: Moved to the private Bombay Hospital. His stay was supposed to end on
• December 5: but he managed to be there for longer.
• December 5: Scheduled date of release from hospital.
• December 7: Stay extended to this date. Later, he was shifted to JJ hospital.
• December 14:  Scheduled date of being shifted back to Arthur Road jail.