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Elgar Parishad case: Bombay HC likely to hear Stan Swamy’s bail plea today
In view of the frail health of Elgar Parishad accused Stan Swamy, his lawyers moved the Bombay high court (HC) seeking an urgent hearing of the octogenarian’s bail application on medical grounds
In view of the frail health of Elgar Parishad accused Stan Swamy, his lawyers moved the Bombay high court (HC) seeking an urgent hearing of the octogenarian’s bail application on medical grounds.
HC has allowed the request and is likely to hear the application on Wednesday Meanwhile on Tuesday, the authorities at Taloja jail – where the 84-year-old is lodged – took the Jesuit priest to Sir JJ Hospital for treatment and also got him vaccinated for Covid-19.
According to Swamy’s advocate Mihir Joshi, the inmates of Taloja jail have informed that there are 26 Covid-19 cases, and a co-accused, Hani Babu, who is lodged in the same jail hospital as the octogenarian, also tested positive for the virus.
“Swamy has developed cough and fever over the last week and he suspects that he may also have contracted the virus. However, as the jail authorities have not tested him for Covid-19, we decided to move HC for an urgent hearing of his bail application on medical grounds. We moved the praecipe on Monday and hope that it will come up for hearing before the division bench of justice SJ Kathawalla on Wednesday,” said Joshi.
Swamy, who has done substantial work in Jharkhand for the rights and upliftment of the tribal community there, was arrested last year on October 9, for his alleged involvement in the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence incident, which left one dead and several others injured.
Swamy’s lawyers moved HC last month after his application for bail on substantive grounds was rejected by a special court last year. HC, while refusing the urgent hearing of the appeal against the special court’s decision, had granted liberty to the family of the Jesuit priest to move an application for bail on medical ground, after taking into considerations his age and frail health.
Following reports of a large number of inmates and staff at Taloja jail testing positive for Covid-19 and the jail authorities refusing to test Swamy despite the fever, his relatives were prompted to seek the urgent hearing of the bail application.
According to Joshi, the application seeks directions to jail authorities to test Swamy for Covid-19 and shift him to a hospital outside the jail as the one in the prison does not have sufficient and qualified medical staff.
Taloja jail superintendent Kaustubh Kurlekar, however, said that they have not received any complaint from Swamy over any health problem.
“On Saturday, I had visited the high-security cell where he [Swamy] has been lodged. But he has not complained of anything. He is already on medical diet. Prison officials and doctor regularly go on rounds in the circles [barracks], and if any inmate has a health problem, they can communicate with officials and get medicines. Instead of informing friends and relatives outside about his health problems, he should inform us so that he can be provided with medical assistance is case he’s in need of it,” said Kurlekar.
