KOZHIKODE: Following the death of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy in a Mumbai prison on Monday, leaders in the state including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had highlighted the denial of justice to the 84-year-old tribal rights activist.
At the same time, human rights activists and the family of 67-year prisoner N K Ibrahim have expressed concern over the latter’s deteriorating health condition even if he is not of Fr Stan’s stature.A diabetic as well as a cardiac patient, Ibrahim is languishing at Viyyur Central Jail awaiting trial on Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) charges for the last seven years.
“After the aggravation of diabetes, most of his teeth were removed. This has affected his food intake and he has lost weight considerably,” says C P Rasheed, secretary, Janakeeya Manushyavakasha Prasthanam. A native of Meppadi in Wayanad, Ibrahim was jailed in a case registered at the Vellamunda police station in April 2014 in connection with some alleged Maoists threatening a cop at gunpoint. Ibrahim is the eighth accused in the case and charged with having a role in the conspiracy. Maoist leader Roopesh is the first accused and the others include Maoists Anoop and Kanyakumari.
The trial in Ibrahim’s case commenced only on June 22 this year, after seven years. “On the first day of the trial through video conferencing, Ibrahim collapsed owing to poor health,” said Rasheed.“The prolonged incarceration is a denial of justice to him. He has already suffered two heart attacks. Within ten days of the removal of teeth, he lost seven kilograms,” lamented his wife Jameela K. Rasheed alleged that the trial process through video conferencing due to Covid is nothing but a farce.
“The accused neither see nor speak to their lawyers. Ibrahim and Roopesh are in Viyyur jail, Anoop in Coimbatore jail and Kanyakumari in Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru. Kanyakumari knows only Kannada. A jail staffer translates the interactions in English whenever she is presented before the court. This is futile. We demand the trial be stopped and Ibrahim released immediately,”
Rasheed said.A joint petition signed by 16 eminent figures like K Satchithanandan and Sunil P Ilayidam was submitted to the chief minister in the second week of June. It raises concern over Ibrahim’s health in the wake of Covid spread in jails.