Awaiting medical bail, Fr Stan Swamy passes away at Holy Family hospital

TRIBAL rights activist Fr. Stan Swamy passed away at Bandra's Holy Family hospital where he was undergoing medical treatment for the last couple of weeks. He was arrested by the NIA last year in the Bhima Koregaon case. He was 84.

Dr. D'Souza from Holy Family Hospital informed a bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar which was scheduled to hear Swamy's plea for medical bail.

"Dr. D'Souza, the Medical Director, Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, wherein the appellant has been admitted, appeared before the Court through video conferencing. We record with a heavy heart that Dr. D'Souza informed the Court that the appellant Father Stan Swamy passed away today at 1.24 p.m. Dr. D'Souza further informed that the appellant had suffered cardiac arrest", the Court said read.

On May 28, a vacation bench of Justices SS Shinde and NR Borkar ordered the admission of Fr. Swamy to the city's Holy Family Hospital brushing aside the NIA's objections.

The court had also allowed Father Frazer Francis Mascarenhas SJ, who is a retired Principal at St. Xaviers College, to meet Fr Swamy at the hospital.

Also Read: Can neither walk, write nor eat. Talojia jail has brought me to this situation: Fr Stan Swamy tells HC

In his medical plea, which remained undecided till he passed away, Swamy had stated that he was suffering from various ailments, including Parkinson's disease, hearing loss in both ears, abdominal pain, as well as injury to his arms.

The plea highlighted that Swamy was already in an advanced stage of Parkinson's – he was unable to talk, walk, or carry out daily chores without help and every day his health was deteriorating.

Also Read: Stan Swamy's endurance has left a message for the world