On Thursday, a Mumbai court ordered the state-run JJ Hospital to set up a medical board to evaluate Naresh Goyal, the founder of Jet Airways, who had applied for urgent medical bail after recent tests had shown that he had cancerous tumours throughout his body. The hospital was instructed by special judge MG Deshpande, who was tasked with hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, to form a medical board and submit its findings and recommendations to the court by February 20 for review.
The judge also instructed the medical board to investigate Goyal’s illness and determine whether the government hospital would be able to provide treatment for it. In a money laundering case that was started after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a first information report, Goyal was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 1. The Canara Bank allegation, alleging a ₹7,000 crore fraud, gave rise to the CBI case.
After the Bombay High Court dismissed Goyal’s plea contesting his detention and requesting his release, he went to the Sessions Court to request bail. Goyal broke down in court when he appeared before the special court on January 6 and asked the judge not to provide him any medical treatment, claiming he had lost all faith in life and would rather die in prison. After that, on January 9, the special judge gave Goyal permission to see private physicians for a checkup. The results of these examinations showed that Goyal had cancerous tumours on his body.
Next, Goyal submitted a request for temporary medical bail. Senior Aabad Ponda, who represented Goyal, emphasised the latter’s health issue. Sunil Gonsalves, the advocate, asked the ED for an extension to provide a response to the application. He proposed that JJ Hospital form a medical board to review Goyal’s medical records. Ponda consented, but asked the court to mandate a board’s hasty formation. The Court granted the request and gave JJ Hospital until February 20 to form a medical board and submit its report.
