Mumbai: Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, has died. This was confirmed by an official of a hospital where he was being treated. The official informed Monday the Bombay High Court regarding the death of Stan Swamy. Swamy, 84, died at 1.30pm Monday, Dr Ian D’Souza, director of the Holy Family Hospital in suburban Bandra, told the high court’s division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar.
The tribal rights activist was admitted to the private hospital May 29 from the Taloja prison. It happened following the high court’s order on a petition filed by him. Swamy sought medical attention as he was then suffering from Covid-19 and Parkinson’s disease.
D’Souza told the court that Swamy suffered a cardiac arrest early Sunday morning following which he was put on ventilator support. “He (Swamy) did not recover and passed away this (Monday) afternoon,” the official told the court. The cause of the death is pulmonary infection, Parkinson’s disease and post Covid-19 complications, he said.
Swamy’s counsel Mihir Desai said there was negligence on part of the Taloja prison authorities. They failed to provide immediate medical attention to the Jesuit priest.
Swamy was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2020 and had been in jail since then.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said he was pained and outraged over the death of Father Stan Swamy. “Deeply pained and outraged at the death of Father Stan Swamy. A Jesuit priest & social activist he tirelessly helped the marginalised. Draconian UAPA custody, inhuman treatment since October 2020 with no charge established. Accountability must be fixed for this murder in custody,” tweeted Yechury.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti expressed Monday shock over the death of 84-year-old tribal activist. She said a ‘ruthless and callous’ government deprived Swamy of dignity and has blood on its hands.
“Deeply disturbed by the passing away of 84 year old tribal activist Stan Swamy. A ruthless & callous government that deprived him of dignity even while he was alive has blood on its hands. Absolutely shocked & appalled. May his soul rest in peace,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.