France, Oct. 22 -- Demands to free an ailing Catholic priest have gathered pace in India after 83-year-old Fr Stanislaus Lourduswamy became the oldest person to be accused of terrorism.

Opposition politicians, rights groups, students and members of parliament joined Hemant Soren, chief minister of Lourduswamy's home-state Jharkhand in rallying against his 8 October arrest on charges of being a Maoist terrorist.

The Jesuit priest was jailed for 14 days by a court after federal police arrested him in the state capital Ranchi and spirited him away to Mumbai, 1,700 kilometres from his hometown.

The Mumbai court is likely to rule on his appeal for bail on Friday.

Lourduswamy, popularly known as Fr Stan Swamy, asserted he was arrested only ...