Tribal rights activist Stan Swamy, arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence and is lodged in Taloja Central Jail in Mumabi, has moved a special court in Mumbai, seeking permission to use a straw and sipper cup in the jail as he is unable to hold a glass because of Parkinson’s disease.
According to media reports, the 83-year-old ailing Catholic priest is currently admitted to the prison hospital. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested the activist, has been given 20 days to respond to the petition. The matter will now come up for hearing on November 26.
"I cannot hold a glass as my hands are unsteady due to Parkinson's," the activist was quoted as saying in his petition, moved through his lawyer Kritika Agarwal.
Stan Swamy is the oldest accused in the case. He was arrested from his residence in Ranchi on October 8. Others arrested in connection with the case include three cultural activists of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), Ramesh Gaichor, Sagar Ghogre and Jyoti Jagtap, as well as thinker, writers and academics Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Shoma Sen, Hany Baby, lawyers, Sudha Bharadwaj, Surendra Gadling, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, who are all also trade unionists and activists.
The court had earlier rejected the bail plea of Swamy. The NIA chargesheet against him claimed that the Jesuit priest was allegedly involved in the activities of the CPI (Maoist). The agency alleged that Swamy had also received funds through an associate for furthering the agenda. Besides, he is convenor of the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), a frontal organisation of the CPI(Maoist), NIA claimed. They said literature, propaganda material of the CPI(Maoist) and documents related to communications for furthering the group's programmes were seized from his possession.
