IPS officer’s widow oppose Sen’s bail plea
By IANSTuesday, January 25, 2011
BILASPUR - The widow of an Indian Police Service officer, killed by the Maoists, Tuesday sought to oppose the bail plea of rights activist Binayak Sen in the Chhattisgarh High Court and to present evidence to prove his links with the rebels. The court set Feb 9 as the next date of hearing.
Ranjana Choubey, wife of IPS officer V.K. Choubey who was among the 29 policemen killed by Maoists in a forested belt in the Rajnandgaon district in July 2009 in coordinated blasts, was allowed by the court to assist the prosecution which would advance its arguments against Sen in the next hearing.
As Sen’s counsel Surendra Singh concluded his arguments before the division bench of Justice T.P. Sharma and Justice R.L. Jhanwar, the widow’s lawyer Shailesh Ahuja sought to move an application before the court for intervening in the case.
Ahuja said he wanted to submit additional evidence on Sen’s alleged links with the Maoists.
He told the court that the Maoists had called for a shutdown in state’s Bastar and other tribal areas, to protest the trial court’s decision to convict Sen Dec 24.
He said he would like to submit additional evidences against Sen. He said the applicant wanted to oppose Sen’s bail plea.
Justice Sharma told the widow’s counsel that he could assist the prosecution which will advance its arguments during the next date of hearing Feb 9.
Sen’s lawyer earlier contended that not a single document seized in connection with the case indicated that he had committed any offence that amounted to sedition.
“The documents were planted by police to establish some connection of Sen with the Maoists,” he argued.
Appearing for Sen, senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani Monday argued for over two hours for grant of bail and described the trial court verdict as one based only on police versions.
An eight-member delegation of the European Union were present at the court during the hearing Monday.
Sen is at present lodged in a central jail in Raipur after he was sentenced to life term by a trial court in Raipur Dec 24 on sedition charges over his links with Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal.
The high court is based about 110 km from state capital Raipur.
