NEW DELHI: The Tihar administration has released a statement regarding the controversy surrounding the health of separatist Shabir Ahmad Shah and denied that he was detected with prostate cancer. Tihar has also rejected allegations that he is not being provided with treatment.“Rumours are being circulated on social media alleging that inmate Shabir Ahmad Shah is critical. In this regard, it is clarified that the said inmate has been regularly provided with all medical attention and his condition is stable. He was referred to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, on June 26 for OPD consultation with respect to complaints of some lower urinary tract symptoms, and he was admitted for further tests and evaluation,” the jail spokesperson said.According to jail officials, Shah’s report says there is no requirement for prostate surgery, and his PSA and CT scan tests are also normal. “All his reports have been found to be normal, and appropriate medical treatment is being provided to him at Safdarjung Hospital,” the statement added.Shah has been lodged in Tihar since July 2017 after his arrest by the enforcement directorate in a 2005 money laundering case. Officials said that he complained of bleeding in urine a few months ago, after which proper treatment was provided to him. “On Thursday, he was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, and a cystoscopic examination under anaesthesia was also conducted by specialist doctors of Urology. The reports came normal, and he was discharged late on Friday,” a jail officer said.Besides this, the septuagenarian has complained of some issues in his knees, which is also being attended to, they said. Political parties in Kashmir Valley have been rallying around jailed Shah, urging the govt to allow him to be with his family for medical treatment. The latest to join the appeal were National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti.His daughter Sehar Shah took to social media on Tuesday to appeal for her father’s release. “Since December 2024, when my father complained of passing blood in his urine, our concern has only grown,” she said. “My mother, who is a doctor, recognised the seriousness of his condition immediately, but we have only faced delays and denial since then.”Mehbooba Mufti subsequently appealed to the Union home minister to respond compassionately to the Shah family’s appeal.
