THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The apathy of jail authorities may well blight the eyesight of Antony Varghese alias ‘Aaadu’ Antony, who is currently serving a life sentence at Poojappura central jail. Antony has already lost 70% of his sight due to the delay in getting treatment. He is suffering from a disease that, if left untreated, would render him almost totally blind.
Antony was imprisoned in 2017 for murdering a police officer and injuring another in 2012. He alleges that prison authorities are denying him treatment as he had killed one of their own. On Wednesday, prison authorities did not permit his advocate to get Antony’s signature on a writ petition, seeking a court directive to ensure his treatment.
TNIE is in possession of a letter written by Antony to his lawyer, which details the ordeal he suffers at the hands of prison authorities. According to Antony, in 2017 he was diagnosed with an infection in his left eye and doctors prescribed an injection worth Rs 20,000. However, policemen refused to do guard duty for him, resulting in denial of the treatment. It was only after a court order that the treatment was provided.
“However, by then it was too late. The doctor said the damage was irreparable. My right eye was later infected. In 2020, I was transferred to Viyyur high-security prison. At Thrissur medical college hospital, after I underwent surgery in the right eye, police refused to stand guard and I was discharged the same day. That night I suffered pressure variation in the eye. Next day when I was taken to the doctor, he said if I had been brought to the hospital the previous day, they could have saved my eye. Now, I am 70% blind,” Antony said in the letter.
He said policemen refuse to accompany him to the hospital even for tests. “They say Aadu Antony killed a policeman, and does not deserve treatment,” the letter read.
Antony’s parole application for accessing treatment was also denied. “Parole is the legal right of a prisoner,” Thushar Nirmal Sarathi, his advocate, pointed out. “He has already served eight years. There’s also the issue of violation of human rights. The junior superintendent told me since we were approaching the court against jail authorities, they will not allow Antony to sign the writ,” he said.
Meanwhile, Poojappura prison superintendent D Sathyaraj told TNIE that he was not aware of Antony being denied treatment. When asked about the denial of Antony’s signature by authorities, he said, “I will look into the issue if it is brought to my attention.”