
NIA claimed that it had found “the documents related to communications for furthering the activities of the banned CPI (Maoist) and its propaganda material and literature” from his possession during the searches
Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Human rights activists condemned the arrest of 83-year-old activist Stan Swamy by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Bhima Koregaon violence case terming it “inhuman and insincere”.
Jesuit priest Swamy, who was arrested on Thursday from his residence in Ranchi, is the latest activist held by the NIA after Vernon Gonsalves, Hany Babu, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde for their alleged connection with Maoist activities. Swamy has been working with tribals (adivasis).
Expressing its shock over the arrest, human rights group People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said: “The inhuman and insincere act of the NIA authorities in arresting Father Stan stands out for its sheer vindictiveness for Fr. Stan fully cooperated with the investigating officers of the NIA when they questioned him in his Jesuit residence in Bagaicha for over 15 hours, on July 27, 28, 29, 30 and August 6”.
In its official statement, NIA claimed that it had found “the documents related to communications for furthering the activities of the banned CPI (Maoist) and its propaganda material and literature” from his possession during the searches.
About these documents, the PUCL said Swamy “had also clearly told the NIA that some so-called extracts allegedly taken from his computer shown to him by NIA were fake and fabricated and that he disowned them”.
The PUCL cited the police statement in the Bombay High Court in which they said that Swamy “was only a suspect and not an accused”.
“The true reason for NIA for arresting Fr. Stan Swamy today is because he had dared to expose the large-scale abuse of anti-terror and sedition laws by the previous BJP-led Jharkhand government. Thousands of Adivasis were falsely implicated and arrested for exercising their fundamental right of protest in the Pathalgadi movement and kept in prison without hearing,” said PUCL in a statement released on Thursday.
It said that the documentation of Adivasis’ sufferings and those who were arrested for no offence at all had angered the state and the police. Swamy also filed a PIL in the Jharkhand High Court against the arbitrary arrest of thousands of Adivasis which, PUCL says, upset the government.
Apart from the PUCL, senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan also lambasted NIA for arresting the octogenarian activist from his ashram.
“Just got news that the NIA has forcibly taken octogenarian Father Stan Swamy from his ashram at Ranchi. It would be difficult to imagine a gentler & kinder person. It is the sign of the venality of NIA that they are trying to implicate him under UAPA!,” tweeted Bhushan.
Just got news that the NIA has forcibly taken Octogenarian Father Stan Swamy from his ashram at Ranchi. It would be difficult to imagine a gentler & kinder person. It is the sign of the venality of the NIA that they are trying to implicate him under UAPA!
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 8, 2020
Prominent activist Kavita Krishnan also said that Swamy was arrested because he fought for the rights of adivasis. She put out a series of tweets in which she mentioned the plight of the tribals and the humanitarian work of Swamy for them.
“1000s of adivasis are thrown in prison every year where they lie, unable to afford bail or legal representation. Scores suffer custodial rape, torture, killings. Two people who cared enough to fight their cause: Sudha Bharadwaj & Father Stan Swamy – are arrested under UAPA,” she tweeted.
Adivasis are disproportionately over represented in Indian jails – in part a hangover from colonial era #racism, in part India’s own #casteism. #FatherStanSwamy & #SudhaBharadwaj cared enough to fight this injustice. They shd be our heroes, not risking health & life in jail.
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) October 9, 2020
Several prominent activists, scholars and lawyers have been jailed for over two years while they await trial.
Stan Swamy, who has several health issues, is the oldest person to be in custody in the Koregaon-Bhima case. He has been questioned several times in the past in connection with the case. Originally from Kerala, Stan Swamy has been working for tribals in Jharkhand for over five decades.
The case relates to an event on December 31, 2017 in Pune which was followed by violence and arson in Maharashtra that left one person dead.