Chhattisgarh HC rejects Binayak Sen’s bail plea

RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday rejected the bail application of Human Rights activist Dr. Binayak Sen, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court on charges of sedition and links with Naxalites.

A division bench of Justices T P Sharma and R L Jhanwar, which turned down Sen’s plea for bail also dismissed the bail petition of Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha, who has also been awarded life term in the case.

The High Court had on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail pleas of Sen and Guha.

Sen has also challenged his conviction in the case.

Binayak Sen’s wife Elina Sen said they would file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision.

Earlier on January 24, the Chhattisgarh High Court permitted a delegation of European Union observers to witness proceedings on Sen’s appeal against his life term in a sedition case.

A division bench comprising Justices T P Sharma and R L Jhanwar considered the reference on the EU proposal made to it by the state government and decided to permit the eight-member team to attend the proceedings in the court.

Additional District and Sessions Judge B P Verma had held the trio guilty under provisions of section 124 A (sedition) and 120 B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act on December 24 last year.

Sen filed a petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court on January 6, challenging the decision of the district and sessions court order that convicted Sen under various charges included sedition and sentenced him to life imprisonment

The Raipur Sessions Court on December 24 had held Sen and three other people guilty of treason and waging war against the state. He has also been found guilty of sedition.

Sen was arrested in Chhattisgarh in 2007 and was granted bail two years later. He was honoured with Jonathan Mann award in 2008, while he was still in prison. (ANI)