Last year, Stan Swamy,an 84-year-old priest-activist was arrested in the Elgar Parishad case underthe anti-terror law and he died today. In the middle of his fight, he requestedfor bail on health grounds several times and mentioned that if he doesn’t getbail, he would die soon.
Since yesterday, he wason a ventilator, when his condition worsened drastically. On May 28, a courtorder was passed for which he was treated at the Holy Family Hospital inMumbai. For the last months of his life, he had been fighting legal battles forhis needs even for the smallest of all when he was jailed in a prison nearMumbai.
He was affected byParkinson's disease and in December he was provided by a straw and a sipper injail due to the same.
The NationalInvestigation Agency (NIA) arrested him in October from his home at night andthen at that time there was no "conclusive proof" related to hismedical ailments. The agency had alleged that Stan Swamy was a Maoist andwanted to cause distress in the nation.
The activist had toldthe High court that his health was declining at the Taloja prison and if he wasnot granted interim bail, he "would die soon" through a videoconference.
Last week, he also triedreaching the Bombay High Court to plea a fresh bail challenging the strictconditions for bail to a person who had been arrested under the UnlawfulActivities Prevention Act (UAPA) Act.
Stan Swamy and the groupaccused had complained to the court that the health facilities were notadequate in the Tolaja Prison. They had stated the neglect made by prisonofficials in ensuring medical aid, tests, sanitation, and social distancingduring Covid.
For five decades, StanSwamy had worked for tribals in Jharkhand, and then he was arrested due to the reason that he had links with Naxals, especially the banned CPI (Maoists) whichthe National Investigation Agency (NIA) relates with an event in Koregaon-Bhimanear Pune on December 31, 2017, which was followed by violence and arson thatleft one person dead. A team of NIA officials from Delhi had arrested StanSwamy from his home in Jharkhand capital Ranchi.
The NIA said theorganizers of the Elgar Parishad event, as well as the arrested activists, metsenior leaders of the CPI (Maoist), a banned organization under the UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act and focused to spread Maoist and Naxal ideology andencourage unlawful activities in India.
Many people had spenttwo years in jail waiting for their trials such as prominent activists,scholars, and lawyers. Stan Swamy was 84 years old and was the oldest to bearrested. He had many health-related issues, was tested positive forcoronavirus at a private hospital last month, and was shifted to the ICU.