Stan Swamy, an 84-year-old priest-activist, passed away on Monday at 1.24 pm, in the middle of his fight for bail on health grounds. He was arrested under an anti-terror law in the Bhima Koregoan case last year. A month ago, he was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai, following court’s orders.
The Bombay High Court that was hearing his bail plea on medical grounds was informed that Stan Swamy suffered cardiac arrest and doctors couldn’t revive him. Senior Counsel Mihir Desai urged the HC to hear Dr Ian D’ Souza, medical director of the Holy Family Hospital.
D’Souza said, “It is with a very heavy heart I have to inform you that father Stan Swamy passed away around 1.30 pm in the hospital today. On Saturday, he (Swamy) suffered cardiac arrest at 4.30 am, we couldn’t revive him. He was put on a ventilator. Subsequent to this, he did not regain consciousness and he was declared dead at 1.24 pm today. Cause of death is definitely pulmonary infection and Parkinson’s disease, among others. There were post-Covid effects on his lungs.”
The bench comprising Justices S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jamadar hearing the matter expressed their shock and said, “With all humility at our command, we really are shocked by hearing this news. Therefore, last hearings we immediately allowed him to remain in hospital of his choice. We have no words to express.”
Stan Swamy’s lawyers had moved the Bombay High Court on Monday morning, seeking an urgent hearing on his medical bail plea, after he his health deteriorated on Sunday and he was put on ventilator support. “On Saturday he went into cardiac arrest at 4.30am, we couldn’t revive him”, the doctor added. “The doctor informed that Swamy was declared dead at 1.30 pm today,” DSouza informed the court.
Senior Advocate Desai told the bench that there were no complaints with the treatment at Holy Family hospital. The body of Stan Swamy was directed to be handed over to Father Francis, the retired Principal of St Xavier’s College who was allowed to meet him in the hospital by the court. The court also directed the authorities to conduct his postmortem examination, as he died in custody, and deposit the autopsy report before it.
Stan Swamy was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other geriatric ailments. One of the oldest to be charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Father Swamy suffered from acute Parkinson’s, hearing loss in both ears, and had undergone two hernia operations. He also suffered intense pain due to lumbar spondylosis, i.e. wear and tear of the lumbar disc, and tremors in both hands.
Stan Swamy had told the High Court via video-conferencing that his health had consistently declined at the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai and if he was not granted interim bail, he “would die soon”. Stan Swamy was arrested on October 8, 2020, and charged under various sections of the IPC and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly furthering the cause of the banned CPI (Maoist) through various civil rights organisations he belongs to. He is accused, along with 15 other human rights activists.
The NIA, which arrested him in October from his home in a widely criticised late-night swoop, opposed his bail request in court and had said there was no “conclusive proof” of his medical ailments. The agency held firm to its argument that Stan Swamy was a Maoist who had plotted to cause unrest in the country.