Father Stan Swamy , 83, on Friday filed an application before the special court seeking that he be allowed the use of a straw and sipper in Taloja Central Jail where he has been lodged as he cannot hold a glass due to Parkinson’s disease.
The prosecution has sought time 20 days to file a reply to this application and the matter will be heard on November 26. Father Swamy is an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence and is currently in the prison hospital.
He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on October 8 from his residence at Ranchi and was brought to Mumbai the next day. He is a Jesuit priest and activist working with tribal people. The agency did not seek for his police custody and he was remanded to judicial custody from October 9.
On October 22, his medical bail was rejected by special judge Dinesh E. Kothalikar who relied upon the directions of the high powered committee constituted to release undertrial prisoners during COVID 19 pandemic and said, “The accused (Father Swamy) is involved in commission of offence punishable under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act cannot be said to be entitled for interim bail.”
Father Swamy’s medical plea was sought on the grounds that he has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and has almost lost this hearing ability in both his ears. He has fallen in jail multiple times and has been operated for hernia twice and still has pain in his lower abdomen. He also needs to be protected from COVID-19.
The court, however, recorded that, “The grounds pleaded by the applicant for grant of bail does not reveal that the medical treatment provided to the applicant in prison is not sufficient. On the contrary the applicant had submitted an application for giving directions to the jail authorities to provide him the required amenities.”
The court also mentioned that the Superintendent of Taloja Central had said, “Since the applicant is old aged person, he has been lodged in the separate cell in the hospital/dispensary section. It does not speak even by stretch of imagination that the applicant is suffering from any illness for which the treatment is not available in the prison.”
Published - November 06, 2020 09:28 pm IST
