By Md. Ali and Mahtab Alam, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi/Ranchi: Eminent human rights activist and award winning doctor, Binayak Sen has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court of Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Friday early evening along with Piyush Guha, a businessman, and Narayan Sanyal, a Maoist ideologue. He is convicted under section 124A (sedition) and 120B (conspiracy) of IPC and Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.
Calling it a judgment which has no substantial evidences and base, Kavita Srivastva, a senior human rights activist and Sen’s friend said, “You need to have evidences beyond feasible doubt to grant life imprisonment.” Talking to TwoCircles.net from Raipur, she said, “It is a desperate attempt to assert the state might, which was exposed by the activists like Binayak”, when asked what could be the reason of this kind of judgment. “We will appeal this judgment in the high court as soon as it reopens.”
Dr. Binayak Sen was working among the tribals. [Photo : The Hindu]
The news of his conviction has stunned the groups of human rights movements, activists, academicians, advocates and journalists. “The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) is deeply disappointed at the miscarriage of justice reflected in the judgment of Raipur Additional District and Sessions Judge B. P. Verma sentencing our National Vice President Dr. Binayak Sen to life imprisonment”, said a press note by PUCL. “The whole human rights community will feel outraged at the judgment and many more protesting voices will be heard in the days to come,” said Mahipal Singh, General Secretary, PUCL, Delhi. Mahipal’s counterpart in Jharkhand, Dr. Shashibhushan Pathak echoes his voice. “We are stunned by the judgment and are planning protest meeting in coming days”, he told TwoCircles.net.
Academician and Writer, Dr. Anand Teltumbde said, “What’s going on in this country? I do not have good enough words to express my protest!”. Lateef Mohd. Khan, General Sectretary of Civil Liberties’ Monitoring Committee (CMLC), Hyderabad termed the judgment unjust and called Binayak a victim of Operation Green Hunt.
Meanwhile, Peoples’ Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi has given a call of protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 27th December and urged all the justice loving people to join it. Dr. Binayak Sen is the general secretary of Chattishgarh State PUCL. Sen, a medical doctor by profession, has been conferred several awards for his outstanding work in the field of public health and human rights including prestigious Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights in the year of 2008.
He was first arrested on May 14, 2007 in Bilaspur on the charges of allegedly carrying messages between Piyush Guha and Narayan Sanyal. He was released on bail on 25th May 2009.