Hemalata, wife of activist and Telugu poet Varavara Rao, who is lodged at a Pune prison in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, Friday wrote to the Maharashtra governor urging him to ensure proper amenities in prison keeping in view her husband's age and failing health.
In her letter to governor Vidyasagar Rao, she also requested him that the septuagenerianshould be should be allowed to have Telugu books and newspapers "as he is a teacher, poet and writer in Telugu forover 60 years."
"I request you to kindly initiate discussions on the following concerns with the concernedofficials in your government with a humanitarian approach and respect to constitutionalideals as well as legal provisions that term prisons as correctional homes."
She said her husband should also be allowed to meet other family members and friends "since jail mulakhat permission is now given to only wife and three daughters."
Hemalata requested the governor that authorities concerned should be directed to expedite the trial or grant bail for Rao as immediately as possible.
Rao was first arrested on August 28 last year from his residence here in connection with the Elgar Parishad case along with activists Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Gautam Navalakha.
However, the Supreme Court later asked the police to place them under house arrest.
On November 17, Rao was re-arrested by Pune police.
Police alleged that the activists had links with Maoists, who backed the 'Elgar Parishad conclave' held in Pune on December 31, 2017.
The Parishad, the police alleged, instigated violence near Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district the next day.
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