By IANS
Raipur : The Chhattisgarh unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Monday expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court rejecting the bail plea of Binayak Sen, who has been held by the state police for allegedly aiding and abetting Maoist activities.
However, top police officials of the state are elated at the court rejecting Sen’s bail plea.
Sen, vice president of the Chhattisgarh unit of the PUCL, was arrested May 14 for allegedly acting as a courier for the Maoists.
“The PUCL is sadly disappointed with the order of the Supreme Court which today (Monday) rejected the bail application of Sen,” Rajendra K. Sail, president of the Chhattisgarh unit, said in a press statement.
The PUCL said “millions of patriotic citizens of Chhattisgarh, and hundreds and thousands of social and human rights activists all over the country were looking towards the Supreme Court for justice, which has not been done”.
But top police officials welcomed the apex court’s bail rejection and said they have gathered clinching evidences against Sen that prove his Maoist links.
“A section of people were carrying demonstration in various parts of the country since Sen was arrested in May. But we know how strong association he had with the Maoists and have documentary evidences which will soon be brought up before the special court at Raipur where a chargesheet has already been filed against him before a chief judicial magistrate,” a senior police official told IANS.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhan and D.K. Jain dismissed Sen’s bail plea saying the grounds on which he had sought the bail were not valid.
A paediatrician by profession, Sen was picked up by police in Bilaspur city for his alleged links with Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal. Sen had approached the apex court for bail in early October.
Police say Sen met 70-year-old Sanyal, 33 times in Raipur jail though all the visits were with prior police permission.
He had been held under the stringent Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA), and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.