Elgaar Parishad case: Family & friends of 16 prisoners demand their immediate release

THE FAMILY and friends of the 16 prisoners jailed in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case said on Saturday that the accused, locked up in Taloja and Byculla jails, were being forced to live in inhuman conditions even as a pandemic is sweeping through the country.

At a virtual press conference, the family members demanded the immediate release of the 16 prisoners lodged in jails.

Jenny Rowena, the wife of Dr Hany Babu; Fr Joe Xavier, the friend of Fr Stan Swamy; Maaysha, the daughter of lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and Minal Gadling, the wife of advocate Surendra Gadling, addressed the media.

Father Xavier said, “Stan Swamy is unwell and not getting proper treatment in the jail. He wanted to be vaccinated. However, he was denied as he did not have Aadhaar card.”