Tribal rights activist Stan Swamy, detained for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad case, has to wait longer for a straw and a sipper he requires as a Parkinson’s patient.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), while responding to the 83-year-old’s plea for these items before a special court in Mumbai on Thursday, said that it did not take them from the activist during his arrest, as claimed by Swamy.

The special court then rejected his application, following which Swamy moved a fresh application. He sought permission to use a straw and sipper as well as winter clothes inside the prison. Adjourning the matter till December 4, the court demanded reply from the jail authorities.

The NIA, which had arrested the activist from his residence on October 8, had previously sought 20 days’ time to respond to his request to use the items.

"I cannot hold a glass as my hands are unsteady due to Parkinson's," Swamy, who is currently at the Taloja central hospital, said in his initial plea before the court.

Parkinson's disease is a debilitating disorder of the central nervous system that can cause involuntary tremors, or muscular spasms, which makes carrying out even routine actions like drinking difficult. Some patients may face problems while swallowing or chewing.

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 activities.

It also alleged that Swamy had received funds through an associate for furthering the agenda.

Besides, he is convenor of the 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 UAPA.

The probe into the Elgar Parishad case was taken over by the NIA on January 24 this year.