Dr. Binayak Sen
On Christmas Eve (24 December, 2010), Dr. Binayak Sen, a celebrated human rights activist and physician, along with two others, Pijush Guha and Narayan Sanyal were pronounced guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit sedition, under section 124(a) read with 24(b) of the Indian Penal Code. They were sentenced to life imprisonment. They were taken into a police van at 1 pm from the Raipur Sessions Court in Chhattisgarh.
IMMEDIATE REACTIONS:–
“The S.C. has held that the charge of sedition can be upheld if the prosecution can prove that the accused attempted to incite violence or public disorder. It is clear that this case doesn’t meet that standard.”
——Senior Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan
“This is a complete farce based on the testimony of one single witness. This sentence reveals the true face of the Indian state… they would jail Mahatma Gandhi if they could.”
——Mr. Pijush Guha, co-accused, a Kolkata businessman
WE THE MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY CONDEMN THIS ACT OF GROSS INJUSTICE. IN OUR COUNTRY MURDERS, CRIMINALS OF ALL KINDS GET ACQUITTED AND ROAM FREELY. DR. BINAYAK SEN, A SCHOLAR-DOCTOR WORKING FOR YEARS TO HELP THE DOWNTRODDEN POOR ADIVASIS IS CONVICTED AFTER A FARCE OF A TRIAL. A TRUE PATRIOT IS PROSECUTED.
IT IS A SHAME, AND WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF DR.SEN, AT LEAST TO REDEEM THE IMAGE OF OUR NATION. THIS FARCE IN THE NAME OF A TRIAL SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED BY ANY HONEST CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.
Debashis
General Secretary, Rationalists’ and Humanists’ Forum of India
Picture Courtesy: The Hindu, PTI
RATIONALIST DEBASHIS 