Apex Court grant bail to Binayak Sen

     New Delhi/Raipur, April 15, 2011: In a severe blow to the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, Supreme Court today granted bail to rights activist Binayak Sen, who has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for sedition and helping Maoists to set up a network to fight the State.

     A bench comprising Justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad did not give any reason for granting bail to Sen and left it to the trial court concerned to impose the conditions for his release on bail.

     A court passed the order on the petition moved by Sen challenging the order of Chhattisgarh High Court denying him bail.

     On December 24, 2010 a local court in Raipur sentenced to life imprisonment Sen, Maoist leader Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata based businessman Peejus Guha on charges of sedition and involved in unlawful activities.

     For helping the banned organization CPI (Maoist), all the three had been convicted by a sessions court of Raipur B P Verma.

     All the three had been sentenced to life imprisonment and fine of Rs 5000 and in case of not payment of the fine a jail term of another three months.

     When the trio were acquitted on charge of waging war against India under section 121 (A), they have been convicted on charges of 124 (A) of Sedition, 120 (B) of IPC of Conspiracy, 39 (2) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and 8 (1), 8 (2), 8 (3), 8 (5) of Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.

     Sen had moved to the Chhattisgarh High Court for suspension of sentence and bail but his plea was rejected by a division bench on February 10 following which he moved to the Supreme Court.