Mumbai: Need probe into Father Stan Swamy’s death, say activists

Democratic rights activists, civil society and people’s organisations hold a press conference over tampering of evidence in Fr Stan Swamy case, near CSMT on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

We will not let Father Stan Swamy's death go without investigation," said members of Mumbai Rises to Save Democracy (MSRD), a forum of several democratic rights, civil society and people's organisations. MSRD in a press conference on Thursday cited how the only data found against Swamy is said to have been planted, and demanded the release of human rights defenders falsely charged and imprisoned in the Bhima Koregaon case. They also called for the repeal of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Laptop compromised

Father Stanislaus Lourduswamy, popularly known as Fr Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from his home in Ranchi on October 8, 2020 in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. He died, while in judicial custody, at a private hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19 on July 5, 2021.

Swamy's defence team engaged Arsenal Consulting, a Chelsea-based company, to analyse the electronic evidence seized from his home by the Pune police. According to Arsenal Consulting's analysis released on December 11, 2022, Swamy's computer was compromised from October 19, 2014 till June 12, 2019 when his computer was seized by Pune police. The firm found and decrypted logs from NetWire, a popular multi-platform Remote Access Trojan (RAT) system, from his computer which covered 383 days from July 21, 2015 to June 11, 2019.

Also read: And the future of Stan Swamy

Nagarjuna G, former professor at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, explained how Swamy's computer was hacked and data reportedly planted in it. "This is digital warfare and those who did it have left sufficient footsteps and there is evidence of tampering," he said.

Mihir Desai, senior advocate at Bombay High Court, said, "Fr Stan would not even harm a fly. The moment the state decided to arrest him, his death warrant was signed. In all cases, they are taken into police custody, then sent to jail. In this case, he was sent to jail as no one wanted to take responsibility because he was weak. The only real evidence was from his computers and now that has been challenged. We will not let his death go without investigation. We have approached the court."

Bad treatment

Speaking at the press conference held near CSMT, Father Joe Xavier, convenor of Fr Stan Swamy Legacy Committee of the Jesuits and former executive director of Indian Social Institute, said, "I was in touch with Fr Stan. He was harassed badly while in custody. He said they [cops] were alleging that he had received transfers of millions of dollars. I can only say that Fr Stan worked for justice but had to pay a heavy price. We want to expose it."

Father Frazer Mascarenhas, former principal of St Xavier's College, Mumbai and parish priest of St Peter's Church, said, "Not only the evidence was fabricated, but he was treated very badly while in custody. Fr Stan had to struggle and fight for a sipper when he was sick. There is absolutely no humanity in the way he was treated by the authorities. Despite being down with Covid-19, he was not treated. The idea of sending him to jail was to kill him."

He added that he believed that Swamy, a social reformer, was framed over land. Swamy had, during a study, learnt that around 5,000 tribals were about to lose their land. He subsequently filed cases in Jharkhand to get reliefs for the tribals. "Mining is a big industry there and Fr Stan's fight to secure tribals' rights was badly affecting corporates. His arrest was because of the state acting at the behest of these corporates."

12 June
Day in 2019 when Pune police seized Swamy's laptop