India Tomorrow
MUMBAI—The bail plea of 83-year-old tribal activist and Jesuit priest Fr. Stan Swamy was rejected on Thursday by a Special NIA court here.
The priest was arrested earlier this month for his alleged involvement in the 1028 Bhima Koregaon violence in Maharashtra.
He was arrested from his home in Ranchi, Jharkhand, where he had working for the uplift of tribals, Dalits and poor people for more than four decades.
He had moved the bail plea on health grounds. He is currently lodged in Taloja Jail, near Mumbai.
His arrested had evoked sharp reactions from human rights defenders all across the country. At a virtual press conference a few days ago, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had come down heavily on the Central Government for arresting Fr. Stan Swamy in connection with Bhima Koregaon. Many others including DMK leader Kanimozhi, CPI’s D Raja, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and several activists had also highly criticized the central government for the arrest of the priest.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, a week ago, had also appealed the Government of India to release all human rights activists, including Fr. Stan Swamy.
Fr Stan Swamy is the 16th person to have been arrested in Bhima Koregaon case and charged under anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of IPC. Others arrested are Varavara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudhir Dhawale, Roma Wilson, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Surendra Gadling, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Anand Teltumbde and G N Saibaba.
The violence had broken out at a war memorial at Bhima Koregaon village, near Pune, on January 1, 2018, after provocative speeches were made a day earlier at Elgar Parishad conclave at Shaniwarwada area of Pune city.
