Stan Swamy seeks permission to use sipper in jail, NIA to file reply in 20 days

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mumbai: Eighty-two-year-old Father Stan Swamy, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-alleged Maoist links case, has filed an application before a
special court here, seeking that he be allowed to use a straw and sipper in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, where he is currently lodged.Swamy
through his lawyer Kritika Agarwal, moved the plea before the special NIA court on Friday seeking straw and sipper in jail citing health
issues.The special court judge D E Kothalikar has asked the national probe agency to file its reply on the matter on November 26.NIA
officials have said that investigations established that Swamy was actively involved in the activities of the CPI (Maoist)
The NIA has also alleged that he was in contact with "conspirators" -- Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Arun Ferreira, Vernon
Gonsalves, Hany Babu, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde to further the group's
Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), a frontal organisation of the CPI (Maoist), the NIA officials have claimed.They said that
literature, propaganda material of the CPI (Maoist) and documents related to communications for furthering the group's programmes were
seized from his possession.Last month, the NIA had filed a charge-sheet in the matter against eight people, including Swamy.As many as 16
people have been arrested in connection with the case so far under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the anti-terror law
delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held on December 31, 2017 at Shaniwarwada in Pune city, led to the violence at Koregaon Bhima the
next day
The police have claimed the conclave was organised by people having Maoist links.