‘Stan Swamy’s death a custodial killing’, claims Goa Cong; to hold protest today

Stan Swamy, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, also referred to as the Bhima Koregaon violence, passed away on Monday. Swamy had suffered a cardiac arrest at 4am, Dr Ian D’souza of the Holy Family Hospital told the Bombay high court on Monday during a hearing on his bail plea, adding that he was declared dead at 1.30pm

The Goa unit of the Congress party on Monday alleged that the demise of activist and Jesuit priest Stan Swamy was a ‘custodial killing’ and said it will hold a protest at the Azad Maidan in the capital city of Panaji at 11am on Tuesday.

The 84-year-old Stan Swamy was arrested by the NIA on October 8 last year and was lodged at the Taloja jail.(Diwakar Prasad/ HT file photo)

Taking to Twitter, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said that Swamy was imprisoned and deprived of basic amenities. “@INCGoa strongly condemns the custodial killing of Fr #StanSwamy the HR activist who worked for d rights of indigenous Ppl. 84y old Fr was imprisoned & deprived of basic amenities.This is a concrete eg of the brutality of this repressive govt. Will protest @11am,” Chodankar wrote on the microblogging site.

Stan Swamy, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, also referred to as the Bhima Koregaon violence, passed away on Monday. Swamy had suffered a cardiac arrest at 4am, Dr Ian D’souza of the Holy Family Hospital told the Bombay high court on Monday during a hearing on his bail plea, adding that he was declared dead at 1.30pm. “It is with a very heavy heart I have to inform you that father Stan Swamy has passed away,” Dr D’Souza said.

The high court then instructed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and prison authorities to hand over Swamy’s body to Father Frazer Mascarenhes for his last rites.

The Elgar Parishad case is related to the alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, which was held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The police claimed the speeches triggered violence the very next day near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial.

The 84-year-old Swamy was arrested by the NIA on October 8 last year and was lodged at the Taloja jail. The central agency alleged he had links with Maoists and he was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On May 29, Swamy was shifted to the Holy Family hospital in Mumbai after he had tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). He was also suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Several prominent leaders of opposition parties on Monday condoled the death of Stan Swamy and said the central government should be held accountable for the “ruthless” and “inhuman treatment” meted out to him. The leaders also said the central government and the judges who, time and again, denied bail to Swamy had blood on their hands.