HC rejects bail plea of Binayak Sen

HC rejects bail plea of Binayak Sen

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

While turning down 61-year-old Sen's plea for bail, a division bench of justices T P Sharma and R L Jhanwar also dismissed the bail petition of Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha, who has also been awarded life term in the case.

The High Court had reserved its order on the bail pleas of Sen and Guha on Wednesday. Sen has also challenged his conviction in the case.

Elina Sen, wife of the rights activist, said an appeal will be filed in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's decision.

"I will be soon discussing the issue of filing the appeal with our lawyers," she said, claiming that the prosecution did not have concrete evidence against Sen.

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 Guha for colluding with Naxals to establish a network to fight the state.

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 IPC and Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act on 24th December.