The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday refuted allegations of tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, an accused in the alleged Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, of seizing straw and sipper in the Taloja prison.
The NIA stated that Swamy was arrested by NIA on October 10 this year for his involvement in the activities of CPI (Maoist) and for the furtherance of the agenda of the banned terrorist organisation as one of the conspirators in Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case.
“The case pertains to widespread violence, arson and stone-pelting resulting in loss of lives and property near Bhima Koregaon, as a result of the provocative speeches during the organisation of Elgar Parishad programme at Shaniwarwada, Pune on December 31, 2017,” the NIA said in a statement on Sunday.
“After arresting accused Swamy, NIA produced him before the special court in Mumbai along with charge sheet on October 9 and never took his police custody. All the necessary legal formalities such as his medical examination etc. were duly observed. Since then, accused Swamy has been in judicial custody at Taloja Central Jail,”
NIA added, “that nearly after a month, on November 6, accused Swamy filed an application in the NIA court at Mumbai for getting back his straw and sipper, (which he falsely claimed to have been kept by NIA),” Subsequently, the court asked the agency to file its reply on next date, which was scheduled on November 26.
“NIA duly filed its reply in the court on the scheduled date (November 26) stating therein that NIA had conducted his personal search in presence of independent witnesses and no such straw and sipper were found.”
The court rejected Swamy’s application and has issued necessary directions to the jail authorities on 26th November 2020 to provide him straw and sipper. “As the accused was in judicial custody, the matter was between him and the jail authorities which come under the Maharashtra State Administration. The reports claiming that NIA recovered straw and sipper from accused Stan Swamy and sought 20 days’ time from the court to respond to Stan Swamy’s plea to allow him a straw and sipper in Taloja Central Jail, are false, incorrect and mischievous as NIA neither recovered any straw and sipper from the accused nor sought 20 days time to file a reply in said application,” the statement added.
The NIA has said that accused Swamy is a “hard-core CPI (Maoist) activist and was charge-sheeted by NIA on October 9 along with seven other accused of their role and involvement in Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case.”
According to NIA, Swamy was propagating among other cadres that the arrest of the urban CPI (Maoist) cadres from different parts of the country, particularly in Maharashtra has caused huge irrevocable damage to CPI (Maoist).
"He received funds from other Maoist cadres for the furtherance of the activities of CPI (Maoist). He is the convener of PPSC, a frontal organization of CPI (Maoist). Incriminating documents related to communications for furthering the activities of the banned terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) were seized from his possession", it stated.
