Stan Swamy was detained under due process of law, says Centre as his death stirs outcry

The Centre on Tuesday said Stan Swamy was arrested and detained by the National Investigation Agency under due process of law as human rights organisations deplored the death of the 84-year-old tribal rights activist in custody.

Swamy, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease and also contracted the coronavirus infection while in prison in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case, died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday. Swamy was the oldest of a dozen people, most of them academics and human rights activists, jailed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in the case without any reliable evidence.

In a statement, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi defended the legal proceedings in the case. “Father Stan Swamy was arrested and detained by the National Investigation Agency following due process under law,” the statement said. “Because of the specific nature of charges against him, his bail applications were rejected by the courts. Authorities in India act against violations of law and not against legitimate exercise of rights. All such actions are strictly in accordance with the law.”

On May 21, the Jesuit priest urged the Bombay High Court that he be allowed to go back to Ranchi, his home town, as his condition had deteriorated to a point that he could not even do basic…

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