Poet-activist Varavara Rao, accused in the Elgar Parishad case, was discharged from Sir JJ Hospital late Monday evening and sent back to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.

The 81-year-old was shifted to hospital after he complained of giddiness and fell in his cell a few days ago.  Dr Sanjay Surase, Superintendent, JJ Hospital, said, "We also conducted his COVID-19 test and the result came out negative. So there was no point keeping him in hospital."

Another doctor said Rao "was reading books and doing other activities without any major health issue. In prison, he might have missed his regular medicine that might have caused the giddiness and other health issues."