MUMBAI: The defence for 83-year-old Jesuit priest, Stan Swamy, who is the 16th accused arrested in the Elgar Parishad case, has moved the special NIA court seeking his straw and sipper as his hands are unsteady due to Parkinson’s disease. The court directed the prosecution to submit a reply on November 26.
Last month, the NIA rejected his plea for interim bail. Swamy had moved the court seeking interim bail citing his age, ailments and the coronavirus pandemic. Swamy’s defence lawyer had submitted that he suffered from Parkinson's disease, had undergone a prostate surgery and also had a fall in jail. The NIA had opposed his plea.
In its chargesheet, the NIA said that on December 31, 2017, Elgar Parishad at Shaniwarwada, Pune was funded by the banned CPI (Maoist) as part of a conspiracy to create unrest. The investigating agency alleged that the provocative speeches made by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch promoted enmity between various caste groups. They said this led to the January 1, 2018, caste clashes at Koregaon Bhima resulting in loss of life and property in Maharashtra.