After Father Stan Swamy tested positive for Covid-19 at Holy Family Hospital, an RT-PCR test drive was conducted at Taloja jail for all inmates. The Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor have tested positive.

According to Republican Panthers Jatiya Antachi Chalwal activist Harshali Potdar, who was also questioned by the NIA in the Bhima Koregaon matter, the three accused persons have been quarantined in a very congested room in the Central jail. Despite testing positive, neither medical treatment of any kind has started, nor they have been given a medical diet to follow.

None of the three had been immunised against Covid-19. Activist Mahesh Raut has been suffering from cold, fever, cough, and weakness for more than a week. In a virtual press conference held on May 15, Mahesh Raut’s sister Monali, had complained about the inhuman conditions in jail and how she was not allowed to send a parcel of thermometer and oximeter to Taloja.

Superintendent of Taloja Central Jail told The Hindu that co-accused Vernon Gonsalves, Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Arun Ferreira, Anand Teltumbde, Rona Wilson and Gautam Navlakha have tested negative.

84-year-old Father Stan, another co accused in the case, is admitted at Holy Family Hospital for a period of two weeks for treatment of his ailments after he suffered major tremors due to his advanced Parkinson’s disease. He also tested positive for Covid-19 and according to an Indian Express report, he is in the ICU, on oxygen support.

Professor Hany Babu has also tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently undergoing treatment at Breach Candy Hospital for a severe eye infection. Dr. Varavara Rao, the only Bhima Koregaon accused is out on temporary medical bail. He had contracted Covid last year.

Related:

Bombay HC directs Fr. Stan Swamy to be shifted to Holy Family Hospital for 2 weeks
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Seek court’s permission before discharging Hany Babu: Bombay HC
Covid-19 a virtual death sentence, new persecution tool against Bhima-Koregaon accused

The post Bhima Koregaon case: 3 accused test Covid positive at Taloja jail appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Tuesday, while hearing a plea on behalf of activist Gautam Navlakha, Justice SS Shinde showcased the court’s humanitarian approach to the plight of the under-trial septuagenarian when he reportedly observed, “Personal liberty of an individual has to be considered at all circumstances. Humanity is most important, everything else is subsequent.”

Justice Shinde referred to news reports of Navlakha’s glasses going missing in jail and authorities refusing to accept a new pair sent by the family via courier. Earlier, Navlakha’s partner Sahba Husain had issued a statement saying, “Gautam Navlakha, nearly 70, patient of several ailments, had his spectacles stolen on November 27. It was an emergency, for he is close to blind without his glasses. Yet, he was not permitted to call his home for a replacement until three days later, but even that call proved futile.”

When Husain had a new pair sent via courier, it was returned by jail authorities. Husain said, “Presently Gautam Navlakha is in acute distress, is unable to see things around him and consequently his blood pressure has shot up.”

There was outrage over the matter given how it came close at the heels of a similar bid by the jail to deny Parkinson’s Disease afflicted Father Stan Swamy a sipper even though he was unable to hold a glass or a cup as his hands shook.

Lens of Cruelty: Taloja Jail authorities sent back a pair of glasses Gautam Navlakha’s partner sent after his got stolen. Newspaper reports talk of how he’s near blind without them. So after the straw/sipper episode with Stan Swamy, another variation of NIA deprivation by design

— pamela philipose (@pamelaphilipose) December 8, 2020

Outrageously cruel! https://t.co/7BxgTiG35E

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 8, 2020

In new India, Stan Swamy can’t get a sipper in jail, Gautam Navlakha can’t get a pair of spectacles and numerous activists can’t get bail. The empathy that a democracy should have for its citizens is a thing of the past. A ruthless jackbooted nation with hounds baying for blood

— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) December 8, 2020

When newspapers started reporting on Navlakha’s plight, it came to the court’s attention. As per some unconfirmed reports, jail authorities have now permitted Husain to directly post the glasses to Navlakha and said that they would be handed over to him.

Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprised the Bombay HC that there were a total of 16 accused in the Bhime Koregaon case, however 3 have been declared absconding. Two of the accused are above the age of 75 (Fr. Stan Swamy and poet Varavara Rao) and eight accused are above the age of 60 years. These include Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde, Vernon Gonsalves among others.

Related:

Taloja Jail denies new spectacles to visually challenged Gautam Navlakha!
Early Christmas miracle: Taloja jail authorities show compassion, give Fr. Stan Swamy sipper

The post Humanity is most important: Bombay HC in Gautam Navlakha case appeared first on SabrangIndia.

No spectacles, water sippers, letters from home, books, specialised medical care, Taloja Jail authorities put up all resistance possible for these items, that are essentials for those who need them. Undertrail inmate Gautam Navlakha, an activist and journalist is almost bliing without his prescription glasses. His only pair was stolen recently, and now the jail has refused to accept the replacement pair that was sent to him by his family.

Meanwhile, it is only left to imagine how the 70-year-old must be surviving and desperately trying to negotiate each day unable to see things. Till he gets new spectacles, Navlakha would now be dependent on the kindness of fellow inmates to negotiate even taking a few steps without colliding into something.

Just as 83-year-old priest-tribal rights activist Fr. Stan Swamy who suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease would have suffered serious dehydration because he was denied his old water sipper-straw. It had taken a massive campaign to ensure that Taloja jail authorities gave Fr. Stan Swamy the sipper, and some warm clothes! Swamy is unable to hold a cup or a glass as his hands shake uncontrollably due to  Parkinson’s disease. 

Gautam Navlakha can’t see anything now that his spectacles are stolen, and ‘is close to blind without his glasses’, said his partner Sabha Hussain, but Taloja jail authorities have refused to accept a parcel containing new spectacles. Both men have been accused in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018. Hussain stated that 70-year-old Navlakha’s spectacles were stolen on November 27 and “it was an emergency, for he is close to blind without his glasses… Yet, he was not permitted to call his home for a replacement until three days later, but even that call proved futile.” Hussain is reported to have said that she sent a new pair of spectacles, but the jail authorities refused to accept it when it was delivered via post on December 5. “The jail authorities were informed that Gautam was almost blind without the spectacles and that they would be arriving any day and to ensure that the parcel is accepted and not returned,” she stated in a note that was widely reported.

As Navlakha is unable to see things around him, he is in acute distress, and subsequently his blood pressure has shot up, she stated, “tall claims made by Indian authorities on jail conditions, in their extradition cases and constitutional directives on the rights of prisoners are alike mocked by this act of deliberate and perverse cruelty,” she added. A courier receipt of the failed attempt to deliver spectacles to Gautam Navlakha, shared by his lawyer, and was reported by Scroll.

According to a news report in The Hindu, Husain said, Navlakha “has a very high-power number about 6.5 and is almost blind without them. So, I immediately got a new one made and sent it by Speed Post, as the jail authorities do not accept courier, on December 3. I thought it would have reached by now so I tracked it online only to find out that it reached the jail on December 5 but was returned on December 6.” 

“Will all the accused of Bhima Koregaon be treated like this.. where Stan Swamy has to wait for a month to get a sipper and now this..” she said.

Meanwhile the Jail Superintendent Kaustubh Kurlekar is reported to have said, “We do not accept any couriers, and we have not received any parcel by post. I told him if he wants another pair made, he can give us the power of his specs and we can make one for him. But he hasn’t. So what can we do?” According to a news report he said, “All the accused of Elghar Parishad, whether Varvara Rao, Stan Swamy or him, they can’t take care of themselves or their belongings. Is it our responsibility to take care of his specs?”

As journalist Presley Thomas confirmed on social media Taloja jail authorities asked “Navlakha to give them his prescription to get a fresh pair of glasses made or to ask his relatives to personally deliver it”. However, it is not known if Navlakha is even carrying his prescription papers.  

Taloja jail authorities clarified that they asked #GautamNavlakha to give them his prescription to get a fresh pair of glasses made or to ask his relatives to personally deliver it. Parcels cannot be accepted within the prison because of security concerns https://t.co/Iar6s5mUna

— Presley Thomas (@presleythomas) December 7, 2020

The case of denying Navlakha an urgent replacement of lost specs comes close on the massive struggle it took for Swamy to get his straw and sipper from the Taloja Jail authorities. An application was filed by Swamy on November 6, the NIA sought 20 days to reply to it and eventually formed the court that it does not have the straw or sipper and denied confiscating it. A massive social media campaign had people sending sippers and straws to Fr Swamy. On November 29, Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Chhering Dorje told the media that Swamy was given his sipper.

Another undertrial, 80-year-old Telugu poet Varavara Rao’s counsel Senior Advocate Indira Jaising had told the court that she feared “he will lose his life if he continues in jail. He suffers from a neurological condition, he is bedridden, his catheter is not changed for more than 40 days.” Jaising told the court, “Rao was not examined by a specialist so how can the video examination tell this court whether he needs to be shifted out of the prison to the hospital?” She even pointed out that the Nanavati Hospital doctors suggested a complete blood count and sonography of the abdomen to be done, which had not yet been carried out. On November 18, the Bombay High Court directed Taloja jail authorities to shift him to Nanavati Hospital.

Related:

Ensure proper medical treatment for Stan Swamy: Front Line Defenders
Lawyers send straws and sippers for Father Swamy to Taloja Jail
Father Stan Swamy moves NIA court for bail
Taloja Jail may soon get a deluge of ‘sippers’, but will they reach Fr Stan Swamy?

The post Taloja Jail denies new spectacles to visually challenged Gautam Navlakha! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Since the NIA Special court has taken about a month to provide Parkinson’s inflicted Father Stan Swamy with a sipper and straw, a group of lawyers have sent straws and sippers to Taloja Jail, where he is currently lodged.

LiveLaw reported that the group wrote to the Superintendent of Taloja Jail stating, “We, the undersigned lawyers, feel that above all detention must be humane. To that effect we urge you to make arrangements for all inmates as per the jail manual who have special medical needs. For Father Stan Swamy, we urge you to facilitate his dignified drinking of water, we are sending this plastic Sipper and paper straws, which we believe are permissible as per the Jail Manual and cannot cause any harm.”

List of 42 Advocates who have signed the letter to Taloja jail for Stan Swamy are:

• Nandita Rao
• Malavika Rajkotia
• Sharukh Alam
• Iram Majid
• Naomi Chandra
• Tanima Kishore
• Ruchi Singh
• Anjali Sharma
• Ritu Bhalla
• Kajal Chandra
• Ekta Kapil
• Sunita Dutt
• Santosh Paul, Senior Advocate
• Ethashan Hashmi
• Swaty Singh Malik
• Shweta Kapoor
• Aakanksha Nehra
• Anand Grover, Senior Advocate
• SaumyaTandon
• Anubha Rastogi
• Manali Singhal
• Fozia Rahman
• Mani Gupta
• Niharika Behl
• Aditi Gupta
• WR Khan
• M. Rashid
• M. Noorullah
• Mohan Katarki, Senior Advocate
• Sabarish Gandhi
• Anupam Sanghi
• Tarannum Cheema
• Nidhi Mohan Parashar
• Kirti Singh
• Firdaus Moosa
• Kriti Kakkar
• Sonam Anand
• Abdul Nasir Khan
• Kiran Kalra
• Sangeeta Bharti
• Suruchi Suri
• Som Nath Bharti

On November 6, Father Stan Swamy filed an application seeking permission to allow him a straw and sipper in the Central Jail as he cannot hold a glass because he has Parkinson’s Disease.

Special NIA Judge D.E. Kothalikar, presiding over the case, directed the medical officer to reply to the requirement of a straw and sipper, along with winter clothes when the NIA refused to provide him with the sipper mug after taking 20 days to reply. The matter will now be heard on December 4.

Apart from lawyers, SabrangIndia reported on some other citizens who shared on social media, orders that they have placed for sippers for the Jesuit priest.

Related:

Taloja Jail may soon get a deluge of ‘sippers’, but will they reach Fr Stan Swamy?
Father Stan Swamy moves NIA court for bail  

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