Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, an accused within the Elgar Parishad-Maoists Links case, advised the Bombay High Court on Friday that his well being deteriorated steadily during the last eight months spent in custody within the Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.
Swamy, 84, was produced earlier than a bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade through video-conferencing from the Taloja jail, the place he’s lodged as an undertrial.
The jail authorities additionally submitted a medical report from Mumbai’s J J Hospital, the place Swamy had been examined earlier this week in compliance with the excessive court docket’s order.
The bench learn out the report, which acknowledged that Swamy suffers from excessive listening to loss in each ears, that his higher limbs have been sluggish and suffered tremors. It additionally mentioned that he required bodily help within the type of a strolling stick or a wheelchair. However, his total situation, his pulse price and many others.,have been steady and Swamy was “responsive” and “cooperative,” the report mentioned.
Swamy advised the court docket that he had suffered a lot whereas in jail.
“I was brought here eight months ago. When I came to Taloja, my whole system, my body was still very functional. But during these eight months, I have gone through a steady regression of all bodily functions,” Swamy mentioned.
“The main issue is that eight months ago I could take a bath by myself; I could take a walk; I could do some writing by myself. But all of these are disappearing one after another. So, Taloja jail brought me to a situation where I can neither write nor go for a walk by myself. I can’t eat. Somebody has to feed me through a spoon,” he mentioned.
The bench then requested if Swamy wished to be admitted to the state-run J J Hospital for “general treatment to improve his overall health.”
Swamy, nevertheless, mentioned that he had been admitted to that hospital on two earlier events and he didn’t suppose that admission there might assist him.
“What medicines will the J J Hospital give me? I have been there twice. I know the set-up. I don’t want to go there,” Swamy mentioned.
“I would rather suffer and possibly die. I would rather be in Ranchi with my friends,” Swamy’s mentioned, insisting that he be granted interim bail as an alternative.
The bench, nevertheless, mentioned that the court docket was listening to arguments on the purpose of hospital admission solely and never on interim bail.
It additional mentioned that Swamy’s well being issues appeared to be basic in nature and have been most likely simply “age-related.”
Swamy’s advocate, senior counsel Mihir Desai, urged the court docket to adjourn the listening to for per week to allow him to talk with Swamy and to persuade him to get admitted to a hospital.
“Since he is a priest, he feels ‘forgive them, for they do not know what that do’… This is the approach he has taken,” Desai mentioned.
The excessive court docket granted him the freedom to method HC once more if Swamy modified his thoughts about hospital admission.
The bench mentioned, “Someone must have told him, or he himself is an intelligent man. He knows his problems are only age related. That’s why he is pressing only for interim bail says won’t take hospital admission.”
The HC directed the Taloja jail to comply with all of the suggestions made by J J Hospital on offering well being services and remedy to Swamy whereas in jail.
Swamy approached the HC by means of advocate Desai earlier this yr difficult a particular court docket’s resolution from March this yr. In the order, the particular court docket had rejected his bail sought on medical grounds in addition to on deserves.
As per his counsel, Swamy suffers from Parkinson’s illness and several other different well being illnesses.
