Bhima-Koregaon case: Jharkhand CM Soren attacks BJP over arrest of activist Stan Swamy
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren attacked the Centre after the NIA arrested tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest, Stan Swamy, in Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday attacked the Central government after the NIA took custody of Ranchi-based tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest, Father Stan Swamy in the Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad case.
"What message does the central BJP government want to give by arresting 83-year-old 'Stan Swamy' who raised the voice for the poor, the deprived and the tribal? What is this stubbornness to suppress every voice of your opposition?" Soren questioned the Centre in a tweet.
Father Stan Swamy was sent to jail till October 23 by a special court in Mumbai, a day after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the 2018 violence in Maharashtra's Bhima Koregaon village.
The NIA on Friday filed a supplementary charge sheet before the court against eight activists accused in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case. The accused include Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkha, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Stan Swamy, and Milind Teltumbde.
The charge sheet was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, under changes of making statements conducting to public mischief and waging war against the government.
Allegations on Stan Swamy
During the investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI(Maoist), were in contact with the organisers of Elgar Parishad, and the accused to spread the ideology of Maoism, Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities. NIA officials stated that Stan Swamy was actively involved with the CPI-M and accused him of receiving funds for activities.
The agency said that documents and propaganda material of the terrorist organisation and literature were seized from Stan Swamy and he was in contact with the others accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. Recently, the priest-activist posted a video alleging that he was under immense pressure and that the NIA had questioned him for 15 hours.
Bhima-Koregaon case
The case pertains to the violence, which erupted on January 1 in 2018 during an event to mark 100 years of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. The clashes left one dead and several injured, including 10 policemen. Investigators claim that activists at the Elgar Parishad meeting had delivered inflammatory and provocative speeches that led to violence the next day. The investigation also claimed to have exposed a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The police had filed 58 cases against 162 people during a state-wide shutdown in January following clashes in Bhima-Koregaon.
Several prominent activists, scholars and lawyers have been imprisoned for over two years as they await trial in the Koregaon Bhima case. Stan Swamy, who has several health issues, is the oldest to be arrested till now. Originally from Kerala, Swamy has been working for tribals in Jharkhand for over five decades. He has been questioned several times by the NIA. His late-night arrest has led to massive outrage.
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(With inputs from agency)
Published By : Gloria Methri
Published On: 10 October 2020 at 12:31 IST