Binayak Sen’s conviction shocking, say activists

NEW DELHI - Human rights activists Friday reacted with shock at rights campaigner Binayak Sen being held guilty of sedition and conspiracy by a Chhattisgarh court, with many saying that there was “no evidence” against him.

“I am absolutely shocked at the judgement. We never expected this judgement because there was not a shred of evidence against him. This is a sad day for our Indian democracy,” Mahipal Singh, secretary of the People’s Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL), of which Sen is vice president, told IANS.

“How can a human rights activist be held guilty on false charges by the prosecution,” he asked.

Raipur District and Sessions Court judge B.P. Varma Friday found Sen guilty on a variety of counts and also under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.

Sen was arrested in 2007 from Bilaspur for alleged links with Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal but was released in May 2009 at the behest of the Supreme Court.

PUCL general secretary Kavita Srivastava added: “This is a shocking judgment. But he will get justice. We will fight for him.”

A very upset Harish Dhawan, an activist, said: “This is the worst possible kind of justice ever. It’s shocking. There is no evidence against him. He has been held just because he has opposed the Salwa Judum (movement) and even the Supreme Court has said so.”

“We have come to a real low in Indian democracy today,” he added.

Salwa Judum is a Chhattisgarh sponsored counter-insurgency and anti-Maoist people’s movement

Mahipal Singh said PUCL would await the detailed judgement before deciding on the future legal course of action.

“We have just got the summary of the judgment, so it will take some time for us to decide the legal course of action. We will also plan a mass movement for justice for Binayak Sen,” he said.