Jesuit priest and tribal rights activists Stan Swamy passed away on Monday afternoon, two days after he was placed on ventilator support in Mumbai’s Holy Family Hospital. He was 84. Swamy had tested positive for COVID-19 and was shifted out of the Taloja central prison to a private hospital over a month ago. The court had arranged for an urgent hearing in light of Swamy’s deteriorating health. After Swamy’s death, his lawyer Mihir Desai demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. Desai, who has been representing Swamy since his arrest, told the court that he does not have any complaint against Holy Family Hospital or the high court, but held the National Investigation Agency and the Taloja central prison responsible for Swamy’s death. Swamy was denied medical care for over ten days before he was finally moved to Holy Family Hospital on May 30. During those 10, days, Swamy had complained of fever and weakness.
Swamy was arrested on October 8 last year for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad case, which has been described as a witchhunt against critics of the government. Swamy was the 16th person to be arrested in the case and also the oldest.
— source thewire.in | 05/Jul/2021