Eighty-two-year-old Father Stan Swamy, arrested in the Elgar Parishad--Maoist links case, has filed an application before a special court in Mumbai, requesting that he be allowed to use a straw and sipper in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, where he is currently lodged.
Swamy was arrested from his home in Ranchi last month in connection with a case regarding instances of violence in Bhima Koregaon near Pune in January 2018.
Swamy, through his lawyer Kritika Agarwal, moved a plea before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday requesting that he be allowed to use a straw and sipper in jail citing health issues.
The special court judge D E Kothalikar has asked the probe agency to file its reply on the matter on November 26.
NIA officials have claimed that investigations have established that Swamy was actively involved in the activities of the CPI (Maoist). The NIA has also alleged that he was in contact with "conspirators" including-- Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Hany Babu, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde to further the group's activities.
It also alleged that Swamy had received funds through an associate for furthering the agenda. Literature and propaganda material linked to CPI (Maoist) and documents related to communications for furthering the group's programmes were seized from his possession, NIA officials said.
Last month, the NIA had filed a charge-sheet in the matter against eight people, including Swamy. As many as 16 people have been arrested in connection with the case so far under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The probe into the Elgar Parishad case was taken over by the NIA on January 24 this year.
The Pune police have claimed that speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held on December 31, 2017 at Shaniwarwada in Pune city, led to the violence at Koregaon Bhima the next day. The police have claimed the conclave was organised by people having Maoist links.
