Mumbai: “Luxury in the garb of hospitalisation cannot be given to the accused,” the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act said while rejecting the plea of 80-year-old businessman Manoharlal Agicha for extension of his private hospital stay. Agicha, the chairman of Associate High Pressure Technologies Pvt Ltd, was arrested in the case of laundering Rs149.89 crore on November 11, 2023, and remanded to judicial custody three days later.
He was hospitalised at Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, on March 16 this year and has not been discharged since. The defence had moved the court for extension of his stay for a few more months to undergo treatment. Referring to medical reports, special judge AC Daga said that the doctors are waiting for the accused to make up his mind for surgery.
“They have given a surgical option but have not decided as the patient wants a few more weeks of medical management. This itself goes to show that there is no urgency for the surgery. Despite my earlier order, doctors have not taken any decision on the procedure to be followed for treatment,” the judge noted, adding that medicines can be provided in the jail.
The court also asked JJ Hospital to constitute a board to examine Agicha and submit a report. In December 2023, the court had rejected his plea for interim bail, observing that his medical issues are not life threatening and can be operated at JJ Hospital..