SC notices to Chhattisgarh on bail plea of HR activist

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Chhattisgarh government on a bail application filed by former faculty member of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU, who is in detention since May 14 on charges of carrying letters for Naxalites in the area.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan and V S Sirburkar issued notices after hearing counsel of the petitioner who contented that his client Dr Binayak Sen was in illegal detention for the last three months and the state High Court had committed a grave error of law by rejecting his bail application wide order dated July 23, 2007.

Dr Sen, who is presently employed with Christian Medical College, Vellore and is also the Vice President of Chhattisgarh unit of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and a renowned Human Rights activist, has denied the allegations levelled against him while claiming that he had been falsely implicated in the case. He is a national awardee, IDPL and also the winner of Paul Harisson award for his outstanding services in the field of medical sciences.

Sen has also claimed that as a Human Rights activist, he usually meets prisoners in Jail and he was not in Chhattisgarh and was called by SP Raipur from Vellore. When he went to meet him, he was arrested under the Chhattisgarh Public Safety Act.

UNI