Left wing outfits have started mobilizing support to ensure that Ranchi based so called human rights activist and Jesuit priest Stan Swamy (83) arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on October 8 for his alleged role in Bhima-Koregaon violence case gets amenities and dignity during his judicial custody at Taloja jail in Maharashtra.
Swamy said to be suffering from cancer as well as other diseases has failed to get any relief from the special NIA court which rejected his bail petition.
Now, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, which is a conglomerate of different left oriented social outfits, has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to ensure that Swamy gets proper amenities under the jail manual.
“We are deeply worried for his health. He is a Parkinson patient with severe tremors in both hands. Due to this he faces serious problems in drinking water from a glass, taking bath and washing clothes. He has a serious hearing problem and he can’t listen without hearing aids,” said Siraj Datta, one of the members of the outfit.
The outfit further said that Swamy used to carry a steel straw sipper to drink water and to consume liquid food. But he was not allowed to carry it inside the jail. The Mahasabha alleged that when Swamy raised this matter before NIA court he was not heard properly and the court even rejected his plea without addressing the basic issue. It further said that jail authority did not allow Swamy to receive warm clothes sent by his family.
The Mahasabha said after much uproar the jail authority provided him with a steel-straw sipper.
Terming all these as violation of human rights the Mahasabha has requested Maharashtra Chief Minister to ensure that Swamy gets due care and medical support.
Swamy was arrested and chargesheetd by NIA along with seven others namely Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Bahu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Milind Teltumbde. They were booked under section 120B, 115, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 201A, 505 (1) (B) and 34 of IPC besides section 13,16,17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
NIA charged Swamy as CPI (Maoist) cadre who used to receive funds from other Maoist cadres for the furtherance of the activities of CPI (Maoist). He is convenor of PPSC, a frontal organization of CPI (Maoist), alleged the NIA in chargesheet.