C'grh HC admits plea against Sen's conviction

The Chhattisgarh High Court admitted an appeal filed by rights activist Binayak Sen, challenging the life sentence given to him by a local court after being convicted for sedition and links with Maoists, and posted the matter for hearing on January 24.

After preliminary hearing, division bench of Justices T P Sharma and Justice R L Jhanwar asked the trial court to submit the case diary and deferred hearing on the case to January 24.

Sen's lawyer Mahendra Dubey had moved the high court against a local court's decision yesterday and sought bail for the 58-year-old activist.

Sen, vice-president of People's Union of Civil Liberties, was convicted for sedition and sentenced to life in prison along with Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata-based businessman Piyush Guha for colluding with Maoists to establish a network to fight the state.

Additional District and Sessions Judge B P Verma held the trio guilty under provisions of section 124A (sedition)and 120 B (conspiracy) of IPC and Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.

Sen, a paediatrician by training, had been accused by the prosecution of acting as courier for Sanyal, who was in jail, by carrying his messages and letters to the underground Maoists. Sen was arrested on May 14, 2007 from Bilaspur and was in jail for two years before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in May last year.