Chhattisgarh HC allows EU team to attend proceedings in Binayak Sen's case
24 Jan 2011
The Chhattisgrah High Court has allowed a delegation of the European Union (EU) to attend the proceedings in the appeal of rights activist dr Binayak Sen challenging the life sentence imposed on him by a lower court.
A Raipur court had sentenced Dr Sen, 61, a paediatrician by profession, along with Naxal leaders Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata-based businessman Piyush Guha, to life imprisonment convicting them for sedition on charges of colluding with the Maoists.
A division bench comprising justices T P Sharma and R L Jhanwar, which took up Sen's case for hearing, also favourably considered a state government reference on the EU proposal to allow an eight-member team to witness the proceedings.
Hearing on the appeal, admitted today, will continue tomorrow.
The EU teams visit had given rise to wide protests in the state with the BJP's students' wing ABVP showing black flags, prompting the authorities to step up security.
The EU delegation has representatives from missions of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, Sweden, the UK in Delhi and the EU.
