Father Stan Swamy, severely ill and at 84 the eldest prisoner in a case accusing rights activists of Maoist links, passed away in a Mumbai hospital on Monday while waiting for bail.
The announcement of the Parkinson’s patient’s death came during his bail hearing in Bombay High Court.
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The court was also due to hear the Ranchi-based Jesuit and tribal rights defender’s plea challenging provisions of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which many activists in India and abroad have termed a draconian law and under which bail is a rarity.
Stanislaus Lourduswamy was among 16 people arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case, an investigation into alleged Maoist links to an Ambedkarite event on December 31, 2017, that was followed by caste clashes the next day that claimed one life.
It is with a deep sense of pain and anguish I write these few lines at the unfortunate death of Fr Stan Swamy in judicial custody on July 5.
As if the world has not suffered enough in these trying times of the invisible enemy, we are beset by the heartbreaking news of the sudden demise of tribal rights activist, Jesuit Fr Stanislaus Lourduswamy. I remember my association with him and his prophetic voice. People of goodwill across the world are disturbed and angry.
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The Jesuit Order is devastated by the loss of its illustrious and exemplary member, and I express my deep condolences to all the Jesuit fraternity and Fr Stan’s family members. I am confident that the Jesuit Society and his friends will take forward the legacy of Fr Stan’s mission for justice and liberation, particularly among the underprivileged and the tribals.
NEW DELHI: Elgar Parishad case accused Stan Swamy, against whom NIA filed a chargesheet the day after his arrest and never sought his police custody in view of his age and “sufficient evidences… already on record”, was kept in a separate cell of Taloja prison hospital with all necessary precautions and given two attendants as per advice of the jail’s medical officer, government sources claimed on Monday.
At the Taloja Central prison, where Swamy was lodged soon after his arrest on October 8, 2020, a source said he was provided with all facilities including wheelchair, walker, walking stick, straws, sipper, mug, commode chair, battery cells for his hearing machines, dental treatment, visiting psychiatrist and telemedicine.
Officials said a woman died of the disease while 53 new cases were reported.
The deceased was in the age group of 80-89 and a resident of G-6.
During the last 24 hours, 1,771 tests were conducted and the positivity rate remained 2.99 per cent.
On Sunday, 71 people had tested positive out of 1,862 tests with the positivity rate of 3.81pc.
Moreover, 28 patients recovered from the virus on Monday.
APP adds: As many as 21 people tested positive in the district of Rawalpindi.
Eight of the new cases were reported from Rawal Town, four from Potohar Town, six from Rawalpindi Cantonment, two from Attock, and one from Taxila.
Express News Service
RANCHI/MUMBAI: Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Monday shortly before the Bombay High Court took up his plea for bail. He was 84.
Swamy had been languishing in Mumbai’s Taloja Jail ever since the
The High Court had on May 28 told state prison authorities to shift him to the private Holy Family Hospital in Bandra.
On July 3, the HC slated his bail plea for hearing on July 6. However, his lawyers moved the court on Monday seeking urgent hearing after his health deteriorated and he was put on ventilator.