The United States-based digital forensics firm, Arsenal Consulting has revealed that a hacker planted evidence on a device owned by tribal rights activist Stan Swamy, who died while under judicial custody several months after his arrest, in the Bhima-Koregaon case.
Last year, the firm revealed that two others arrested in connection with the case, Surendra Gadling and Rona Wilson were also victims who had evidence planted in their device by a hacker. The revelation relating to Surendra Gadling came a day after the death of Stan Swamy on July 5, 2021, while the report on Rona Wilson came several months prior to that.
The 84-year-old Jesuit priest Stan Swamy was suffering from Parkinson's disease. His requests for bail on medical grounds was rejected multiple times. Eventually, his health condition deteriorated and he died in a hospital, while in judicial custody, on July 5, 2021.
According to The Washington Post, Massachusetts-based firm Arsenal Consulting has released the latest analysis on Stan Swamy.
Arsenal Consulting said that Swamy had been targeted by an extensive malware campaign for nearly five years till his device was seized by the police in June 2019. In that duration, the hacker had complete control over the activist’s computer, and placed dozens of files in a hidden folder without his knowledge, according to The Washington Post.
It may be recalled that a day after the activist Father Stan Swamy's death on July 5, 2021, Arsenal Consulting claimed that evidence was planted on the computer of Surendra Gadling. The firm claimed that the malware that targeted Gadling's computer via emails also had several other Bhima-Koregaon accused, including Swamy and Sudha Bhardwaj copied on the mails.
Stan Swamy and others were arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case under UAPA for alleged links with banned Maoists.