The Maharashtra Police Case Against Me Is an Absolute Fabrication: Stan Swamy

Persecuted Prisoners' Solidarity Committee is not linked with any banned organisations and the Maharashtra police have concocted a false case to discredit voices of people fighting for the rights of the poorest.

Stan Swamy

Father Stan Swamy during the raid on his home in Ranchi. Credit: PTI

In a press conference held in Mumbai on August 31, additional director-general (law and order) of Maharashtra police Parambir Singh told the media that in relation to the incident of Bhima-Koregaon, initially an FIR was lodged on January 8, 2018. According to him my name was added in the aforesaid FIR on August 23 along with the names of Arun Ferreira, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde.

In the same press conference, Singh talked about a letter allegedly written by Sudha Bhardwaj. This letter, according to the Maharashtra police, mentions that I had been appointed by "comrade Prashant" for the work of Persecuted Prisoners' Solidarity Committee (PPSC). It is also mentioned in the aforesaid letter that Sudha Bharadwaj had asked me to provide some funds for the activities of CPI (Maoist), but that I did not make any definite commitment in this regard.

I would like to make it clear on my part with regard to the content of the said letter that Sudha Bhardwaj never asked me for any fund for the activities as mentioned in the letter. It is nothing but a complete concoction and absolute falsehood that is being propagated by the Maharashtra police. Bhardwaj has also repeatedly denied the veracity of the said letter and has said that it is fabricated.

Further, I believe that the possible reason behind this concoction against me along with Sudha Bhardwaj is that I have been the convener of PPSC, which was formed in December 2015. I wish to make it clear that PPSC was formed purely to help undertrial prisoners and has no link whatsoever with any banned organisations. I have also filed a PIL in the Jharkhand high court for the speedy trial of undertrial prisoners languishing in the jails of Jharkhand. Taking serious note of my PIL, the high court on January 8 ordered the state of Jharkhand to provide all relevant and necessary information from every jail, which must reveal the reasons for undue delay in the trial of these undertrial prisoners. The proceedings in this PIL are still on going in the high court.

In addition to this PIL, I have been raising awareness among Adivasi and Dalit people for their rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution, especially the rights of the Adivasi community provided in the Fifth Schedule and their right of self-governance through gram sabhas as provided in Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. I have also tried to make them aware of the judgment of the Supreme Court that "the owner of the land is also the owner of the subsoil minerals". I have also raised my voice against the formation of a 'land bank' that intends to take over the “commons” such as roads, rivers, ponds, burial grounds and community forest lands which are traditionally used by the community.

I fear that these activities have angered the powerful interests within the government. They have not only foisted a case of sedition against me in Jharkhand, but have now included me in a false case that links me with banned organisations in order to discredit me together with other intellectuals, legal professionals and social activists raising our voices for the rights of the poorest, not just in Jharkhand, but all over India.

This article went live on September third, two thousand eighteen, at twenty-three minutes past seven in the evening.

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