83-Year-Old Stan Swamy Finally Gets A Sipper In Jail Nearly Two Months After He Was Arrested
The painfully long wait of 83-year-old jailed tribal rights activist Stan Swamy for a sipper and straw to drink water has finally ended.
The lawyer of the Jesuit priest has told a special court in Mumbai that Swamy has been given a straw and sipper by the Taloja jail authorities.
Swamy, who is suffering from various health ailments including Parkinson's disease, was arrested on October 8 by the NIA for alleged Maoist links in connection with the 2018 Elgar Parishad case.
In November, Swamy had approached the court with a plea to order the NIA to return his sipper along with other belongings that the NIA had confiscated during the arrest.
Swamy who suffers from Parkinson's disease in his palea had stated that because of his health condition, he was unable to drink water without a sipper.
The NIA which was granted 20 days to reply, told the court that it had not taken away Swamy's sipper and thus was unable to provide him one.
Prolonged wait for straw, sipper
Swamy had last week filed another plea in the court for a sipper, straw, and warm clothes in jail.
After the court further delayed the plea of Swamy for a sipper, several people had come forward to buy and send it to the jail.
On Friday, Swamy's lawyer filed three fresh applications seeking a direction to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to return his bag, a copy of his hard disk and a direction to not transfer him from Taloja jail.
Swamy said he apprehends that he would be transferred from the Taloja prison near here in Navi Mumbai.
Swamy had also filed a bail plea on medical grounds.
The court had sought a report from the Taloja prison on his health condition.
On Friday, the jail authorities told the court that they need time to submit the report, following which the court posted the matter for further hearing on December 10. The court said it would also hear the three new applications filed by Swamy on December 10.?
As per the NIA, Swamy was involved in the activities of the banned CPI (Maoist), and had received funds through an associate for furthering Maoist agenda.
He was also the convenor of the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), a frontal organisation of the CPI(Maoist), the NIA claimed.
The 83-year-old Jesuit priest is the oldest person arrested in India on terror charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
