‘NIA detains tribal rights activist Stan without warrant’

Ranchi: The National Investigation Agency was taken social and tribal rights activist Stan Swamy into custody from his residence at Ranchi’s Namkum locality on Thursday, people associated with him told the media. While NIA officials did not issue any statement, Swamy’s aides said the central agency detained him without producing any warrant.
The 83-year-old is among the several other activists accused in the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence case in Pune. Swamy’s residence, named Bagaicha, was raided twice in the past — on August 28, 2018, and June 12, 2019, in the same case.
Sources said an NIA team reached Sawmy’s residence without informing the local police. One of his colleagues told TOI, “The team behaved rudely and picked him up forcefully at night stating that senior officials in Delhi have asked them to question him. We do not know what prompted them to suddenly detain an elderly person during a pandemic. Swamy has never resisted any questioning and always cooperated whenever required.”
CPI (M-L) state secretary Janardhan Prasad and Bagodar MLA Binod Singh also condemned the NIA’s action.