SC notice to Chhattisgarh govt in Binayak Sen case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh government on a bail plea of civil rights activist Binayak Sen. He is lodged in a jail in Raipur in accordance with the trial court order which sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal.

A bench of Justice HS Bedi and Justice CK Prasad on Friday also asked the state government to reply why the trial court order sentencing Sen for life should not be stayed. It asked the government file its response within four weeks. The court entertained the petition of incarcerated Sen even when his counsel was seeking adjournment of the case till Monday. Such adjournment was sought as Sen’s counsel and noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani was not present before the bench.

Sen had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court. It had rejected his bail plea on February 10. Additional Advocate General Kishore Bhaduri on behalf of the state had opposed the bail application of Sen. It had said that Sen had strong links with the Maoists. A professional doctor, who studied in Christian Medical College, Vellore, Sen has sought bail contending that the trial court has erred in convicting him as there was no substantial evidence against him.

Sen, Vice-President of People's Union of Civil Liberties, was convicted for sedition and sentenced to life imprisonment along with Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha for colluding with Naxals to establish a network to fight against the state. Human rights and social activists have described Sen's conviction and sentence as "politically motivated."

Several Nobel laureates had also written letter to the Indian government to ensure that Sen is given a fair trial. They had advocated for his release on bail. "Sen is an exceptional , courageous, and selfless colleague, dedicated to helping those in India who are least able to help themselves," the laureates said in the statement, posted on a website campaigning for Sen's release.