Excise policy case: Delhi HC calls for medical report on Arun Pillai while hearing interim bail plea

A single judge bench of Justice Amit Sharma said, “The latest report regarding the medical status of the applicant (Pillai) and the treatment should be requisitioned from the concerned jail superintendent.”

Pillai, 51, in his plea seeking interim bail for eight weeks, has said that he has been suffering from lower back aches for the past eight years. He was arrested by the ED on March 6, 2023.

Appearing for Pillai, advocate Nitesh Rana said, “He (Pillai) is not improving, he has been getting treatment for the past one year. Now, he wants to try an alternate form of treatment which is recognised.”

The plea submits that during Pillai’s incarceration, he has been having “severe pain” in his lower back “radiating pain to the legs”, and “upper back pain radiating to his front chest muscles, which is affecting his day-to-day chores”.

It states that after he was taken to Max Hospital on April 25 and May 1 this year, Pillai underwent several tests including an MRI which revealed that there is a “multilevel degenerative disc disease”. The applicant added that the consulting doctor has prescribed “tens laser” physiotherapy sessions.

“Taking into account the age of the applicant (Pillai) and the prolonged courses of painkillers prescribed to him, the family of the applicant has taken an opinion from Ayurvedic doctors at renowned Pratheeksha Ayurvedic Clinic, Palakkad, Kerala to explore options other than allopathy that could provide the applicant relief. The doctors at Pratheeksha Ayurvedic Clinic have opined that the applicant needs to be admitted to the hospital to undergo 21 days’ ‘Panchkarma Therapy’ with further rest of 21 days,” the plea submits.

Pillai has said that he wishes to undergo Panchkarma Therapy at the clinic in Kerala for 21 days to “sustainably heal his back pain”.

The plea states that despite multiple courses of medications prescribed to Pillai, the pain has been recurring and has led to him taking painkillers for long periods which causes multiple side effects.

“Taking the above factors into account and the level of degeneration of the spine at 50 years of age, the applicant and his family seek to avail Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment since Ayurveda has been a more effective course of treatment for the applicant in the past and is known to have less side effects,” the plea states.

It adds that his back condition is getting worse, and he faces the risk of permanent damage to his back due to “improper treatment”.