Tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy died in custody on July 5, 2021, aged 84 and in the middle of a long battle for medical bail. Fr. Swamy, a Jesuit priest, had worked with tribals in Jharkhand for over five decades, organising them for land, water and forest rights. The National Investigation Agency accused him of having links with the Maoists and arrested him in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case last October. He was charged under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Fr. Swamy was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and had applied for bail multiple times, but his pleas were rejected. After he passed away in custody, many activists and political leaders have sought accountability from the government and the judiciary over this tragic death.

What were the reasons Fr. Swamy was unable to get bail, especially given that he posed zero flight risk? K. Venkataramanan, Associate Editor at The Hindu explains some of the systemic problems with India’s bail jurisprudence in general, and the UAPA in particular, that could have had a bearing on the unfortunate case of Fr. Stan Swamy.

Guest: K. Venkataramanan, Associate Editor, The Hindu

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu

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