Father Stan Swamy's arrest is malicious: rights organisation

A grab from a video statement of Fr Stan Swamy put up on YouTube by the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha two days before his arrest, in the eventuality of him being forcibly taken away

The arrest of 83-year-old tribal rights activist Fr Stan Swamy from his residence in Bagaicha, Ranchi, in connection with his alleged role in the Koregaon-Bhima case on Thursday, is the latest name in the long list of people who have been implicated by the NIA with regard to a "larger conspiracy to cause unrest." The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has put out a strongly worded statement condemning the arrest.

The NIA on Friday filed a supplementary charge-sheet against eight people, including activists Gautam Navlakha and Fr Swamy, for their alleged involvement in inciting a mob to violence in Koregaon-Bhima near Pune on January 1, 2018 and accused them of waging war against the state, officials said.

The PUCL statement also said that Swamy had previously told the NIA that some of the so-called extracts allegedly taken from his computer and shown to him by its officers, were fabricated

On August 28, 2018, Swamy's residence was raided by the Pune police, who were investigating the Koregaon-Bhima violence, and his laptop, camera, and other electronic devices were seized. On Thursday night, Swamy was brought from his home to Mumbai to be remanded in the immediate aftermath of his arrest. The People's Union for Civil Liberties' (PUCL) statement pointed out that Swamy had cooperated while being questioned previously by the NIA. "The inhuman and insincere act of the NIA authorities in arresting Fr. Stan stands out for its sheer vindictiveness, for Fr. Stan fully cooperated with the investigating officers of the NIA, when they questioned him in the Jesuit Residence in Bagaicha for over 15 hours, on July 27, 28, 29, 30 and August 6. Despite his advanced age and age-related ailments, Fr. Stan patiently answered all queries put to him," the statement said.

'Action motivated'

Stating that the arrest of Fr. Stan by the NIA was "malicious" and "spiteful," and that he has "constantly denied any link with extreme leftist forces or Maoists," the PUCL statement also said that Swamy had previously told the NIA that some of the so-called extracts allegedly taken from his computer and shown to him by its officers, were fabricated. "What also exposes the NIA action as motivated, is revealed by the fact that in October 2018, the police told the Bombay HC that Fr. Stan was only a suspect and not an accused. Thereafter, for six weeks after he was questioned, the NIA kept quiet. Now, as the six-month period for completing the investigation after the arrest of Gautam Navalakha and Anand Teltumbde on April 14, 2020 is approaching, the NIA wants to arrest Fr. Stan Swamy and possibly other activists under the completely fabricated and non-existent conspiracy of the Bhima-Koregaon case," the statement said.

'Release him'

The statement, undersigned by Ravi Kiran Jain (President-PUCL) and Dr V Suresh (General Secretary-PUCL) concluded that the 'true reason' for the NIA arresting Swamy was he had exposed the large scale abuse of anti-terror and sedition laws by the previous BJP-led Jharkhand government. "Thousands of adivasis were falsely implicated and arrested for exercising their fundamental right of protest in the Pathalgadi movement and kept in prison without hearing." It added, "PUCL demands that the NIA immediately release Fr. Stan Swamy and refrain from carrying out these arbitrary and motivated arrests of innocent, law abiding citizens."

A special NIA court remanded Swamy in judicial custody till October 23. He will be lodged at Taloja Central Jail.

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