MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency has sought 20 days to respond to Father Stan Swamy’s application before a special court seeking a straw and sipper in prison to drink water, as he cannot hold a glass because of Parkinson’s disease.
Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, 83, is a tribal rights activist who was arrested last month over his alleged involvement in the Bhima-Koregaon case. He moved the special court in Mumbai seeking permission to use a straw and sipper cup while drinking.
The NIA claims Swamy is linked to CPI (Maoist) activities and had a role in instigating violence. Father Swamy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and has been lodged in central Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai after he was arrested from his residence in Ranchi in Bhima Koregaon's case on October 8.
He is currently in a prison hospital. Earlier his request for bail on medical grounds was rejected by special judge Dinesh E Kothalikar on October 22. He applied for medical bail on the grounds that he has been suffering from Parkinson’s and that he has almost lost his hearing.
“I cannot hold a glass as my hands are unsteady due to Parkinson’s, ” Swamy, who has been at the Taloja Central Jail for nearly a month and is currently in the prison hospital, said in his application. Parkinson’s is a debilitating disorder of the central nervous system that can cause involuntary tremors, or muscular spasms, which makes carrying out even everyday actions, such as drinking, difficult. In addition, some patients also develop problems swallowing or chewing.