MUMBAI: Eighty-eight-year-old Telugu revolutionary poet, literary critic and political activist P Varavara Rao has moved the Bombay High Court seeking permission to permanently shift his residence to Hyderabad, challenging a special NIA court order that denied him permission to travel to and reside in Telangana.Bhima-Koregaon case accused Varavara Rao moves HC to shift base to HyderabadRao is an accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case and faces charges under the non-bailable Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).A division bench of justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata on Friday directed Rao’s counsel to serve a copy of the petition to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and directed the probe agency to file its reply within two weeks, when it will hear the matter.In his petition, filed through advocate R Sathyanarayanan Iyer, Rao said he and his 76-year-old wife have been suffering from age-related health problems and require consistent emotional, mental and physical support from family members, all of whom reside in Hyderabad.Rao contended that compliance with the Supreme Court’s bail conditions has forced him to live in rented accommodation in Mumbai, resulting in severe financial strain. A retired professor of Chanda Kanthaiah Memorial (CKM) College in Warangal, he said he survives on a pension of about ₹50,000 per month while spending more than ₹77,000 every month to live in Mumbai.“Due to this, on each and every occasion, he has to resort to borrowings from his children and this affects his dignity and self-independence in financial matters besides being an added burden on his children,” the plea states.The petition further argues that as a native of Hyderabad who owns a house there, Rao could significantly reduce his living expenses and save a portion of his pension. It also claims he would be eligible for free medical treatment and benefits under senior citizen health schemes available to him in Hyderabad, reducing the burden of mounting healthcare costs.Rao has also cited the hardship of having to shift residences six times over the past five years due to circumstances arising from the criminal case and requests from landlords to vacate rented premises. The frequent relocations, he said, have caused considerable physical and emotional stress, leaving him “as good as in chains, though set free”.Rao was arrested by the NIA in connection with alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017. According to the agency, the event triggered violence near the Bhima Koregaon war memorial the following day, resulting in one death and several injuries. The NIA has alleged that Rao had Maoist links and engaged in anti-national activities.Sixteen persons were arrested in the case. Jesuit priest and activist Father Stan Swamy died in judicial custody in 2021. All surviving accused have since secured bail from the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court.Rao was among the first accused to be granted bail on medical grounds. In August 2022, the Supreme Court made his bail permanent after taking note of his deteriorating health. However, it imposed conditions requiring him to remain within the jurisdiction of the Mumbai trial court and refrain from contacting witnesses. He was also permitted to seek medical treatment of his choice, subject to informing the NIA about his treatment.