File Picture
Father Stan Swamy, a tribal rights activist arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case last year has passed away . The 84-year-old Jesuit priest was put on ventilator after his health deteriorated further , according to media reports.
Swamy was admitted to a private hospital since May 30 following the directions of the Bombay High Court.
On Saturday, his lawyer, Mihir Desai, had informed the HC, which is hearing Swamy’s bail pleas, that the latter continued to be in the Intensive Care Unit.
Swamy has been undergoing treatment at the Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai, following a court order on May 28.
The cost of his treatment at the private hospital is being borne by his associates and friends.
Last week, Swamy also filed a fresh plea in the HC, challenging section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), that imposes stringent bars on the grant of bail to an accused charged under the Act.
Swamy and his co-accused in the Elgar case have repeatedly complained of inadequate health facilities at the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, where they were lodged as undertrials.
Through their pleas filed in the HC as well as oral and written statements made in the HC, they have complained several times of neglect on part of the Taloja prison authorities in ensuring medical aid, timely tests and maintaining hygiene and social distancing.
In May this year, Swamy told a vacation bench of the high court via video-conferencing that his health had consistently declined at the Taloja prison.
He had urged the HC to release him on interim bail at that time and said if things continued the way they were, he ‘would die soon’.
Taking to Twitter on the news of Stan Swamy’s passing away, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tweeted , Heartfelt condolences on the passing of Father Stan Swamy. He deserved justice and humaneness.
Heartfelt condolences on the passing of Father Stan Swamy.
He deserved justice and humaneness.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 5, 2021
Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP , in a tweet wrote, Sad to learn of Fr #StanSwamy’s passing. A humanitarian & man of God whom our government could not treat with humanity. Deeply saddened as an Indian. RIP.
Sad to learn of Fr #StanSwamy‘s passing. A humanitarian & man of God whom our government could not treat with humanity. Deeply saddened as an Indian. RIP. https://t.co/aOB6T0iHU9
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 5, 2021
Prashant Bhushan, Lawyer Supreme Court
This is nothing less than murder by the State of one of the gentlest & kindest men I have known. Unfortunately our judicial system is also complicit in thishttps://t.co/r7DPK2DH87
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) July 5, 2021
