A two-judge bench of the Chhattigarh high court began hearing today the petition for suspension of the life sentence and bail for paediatrician Binayak Sen, sentenced to life imprisonment last month by a sessions court on a charge of sedition and conspiracy with armed insurgents.
The bench of judges T P Sharma and R L Jhawar will continue the hearing tomorrow. The HC is located at Bilaspur, 120 km from here. Veteran lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Ram Jethmalani, is arguing Sen’s case. He began the argument this afternoon and went on till evening.
The rights activist was convicted for participating in a criminal conspiracy with two others, Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha and Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal. All three got a life sentence.
Sen’s trial is being closely followed in India and abroad. An eight-member delegation from the European Commission (EU) is also here and witnessed the proceedings today. The foreign delegates, however, faced strong protests on their arrival in the state. Bthere were protest demonstrations here and in Bilaspur, demanding they be sent back.
State chief minister Raman Singh had also condemned their coming, saying India’s judiciary was competent and did not require foreign delegates to monitor any hearing.
