After NIA Says We Don’t Have Sipper, Stan Swamy Files Fresh Plea

“I cannot hold a glass as my hands are unsteady due to Parkinson’s,” the 83-year-old had said in his application.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to The Hindu, on Thursday, 26 November told the court that they do not have a straw and a sipper for eighty-three-year-old arrested activist Father Stan Swamy to drink from.

(Photo Courtesy: Avishek Goyal/Twitter)

Father Stan Swamy’s lawyer on Thursday, 26 November, filed a fresh plea seeking direction to the prison authorities to allow winter wear clothes and a straw and sipper for him in prison.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to The Hindu, on Thursday, 26 November had told the court that they do not have a straw and a sipper for 83-year old arrested activist Father Stan Swamy to drink from.

Father Stan Swamy had sought the same, citing difficulty due to his Parkinson’s Disease.

Arrested in relation to the Bhima Koregaon case, Swamy had moved a special court over a month ago in Mumbai seeking, citing his ailment, permission to use a straw and a sipper cup to drink.

In his application Swamy had said:

“I cannot hold a glass as my hands are unsteady due to Parkinson’s.”

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) which arrested Swamy from his residence in Ranchi on 8 October, had told the court on 6 November that it needed 20 days time to respond to Swamy's request.

The court, which grants special permission for articles to be brought in from outside, had thereby slated the matter for hearing on 26 November.

The court has now asked the medical officer to reply to the requirement of straw and sipper, along with the requirement of winter clothes on 4 December, reported LiveLaw.

WHAT DID THE SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SAY?

Special Public Prosecutor Prakash Shelly reportedly said to LiveLaw:

“Actually, they (Stan Swamy’s lawyers) never applied for straw and sipper. They claimed that while arresting him we had recovered the straw and sipper from him. We simply said that we have recovered no such articles from him, so how can we provide.”

WHAT IS PARKINSON’S DISEASE?

According to America’s National Institutes of Health, Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. Parkinson's symptoms are usually gradual in their onset and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may even have difficulty walking and talking.

BACKGROUND

Swamy has been lodged in the Taloja Central Jail in Maharashtra.

Other than his Parkinson’s, father Stan Swamy has also almost lost hearing in both his ears and has fallen down in jail multiple times. He has also undergone two operations for his hernia and still has pain in his lower abdomen, reported LiveLaw.

“Despite all odds, humanity is bubbling in Taloja prison,” he had written to his friends earlier this month from a small cell in the jail.

A special NIA court, had last month, denied Swamy's bail application which was filed on medical grounds.

The NIA had at the time opposed bail, declaring that the Swamy had been booked under the stringent UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) and was therefore not allowed bail.

The Bhima-Koregaon case refers to violence that erupted in the vicinity of a war memorial in the village of that name on 1 January 2018. This was, the NIA claims, after provocative speeches were made during the Elgar Parishad conclave held a day earlier at Shaniwarwada in Pune.