[chhattisgarh-net] Digest Number 1738

[chhattisgarh-net]

Title: chhattisgarh-net

chhattisgarh-net Messages In This Digest (4 Messages) 1. Indian Express: Laws don't affect his bail rights yet Binayak Sen in From: Anoop Saha 2. 36garh Diary | 12 Jan | 2009 From: Shubhranshu Choudhary 3a. Re: Fwd: AGENT OF CHANGE - He made Chhattisgarh's right to know  aff From: rahul 4. Re: Information on Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Natya Samaroh by IPTA Ra From: adv sudha View All Topics | Create New Topic Messages 1. Indian Express: Laws don't affect his bail rights yet Binayak Sen in Posted by: "Anoop Saha" anoops...@gmail.com   anoopsaha Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:29 pm (PST) http://www.indianexpress.com/news/laws-dont-affect-his-bail-rights-yet-binayak-sen-in-jail-for-19-months/410061/0 Laws don't affect his bail rights yet Binayak Sen in jail for 19 months Font Size Vinay Sitapati Posted: Jan 13, 2009 at 0302 hrs IST New Delhi: VINAY SITAPATI NEW DELHI, JANUARY 12 While debating the new anti-terror laws passed in Parliament last month, Home Minister P Chidambaram acknowledged the need for a "fair balance" between respecting human rights and tough laws to deal with terror. That counter-terror measures can hurt individual rights is no idle concern. The 19-month incarceration of Binayak Sen shows why. Dr Binayak Sen, a graduate of CMC Vellore and a practising doctor, was arrested on May 14, 2007 in Bilaspur under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act as well as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code. He is accused of conspiring with, and being a conduit between Naxalites. Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan admits that Sen is not a "Naxal terrorist hiding in the forests" but accuses him of giving "logistical support" to the Naxals — charges that Sen vigorously denies. His trial began on April 30 last year and 38 prosecution witnesses have so far been examined. The sheer length of Sen's incarceration without bail is significant. To compare: Sanjeev Nanda, prime accused in the BMW hit-and-run case, was given bail just four months after being arrested. Another eventual convict, Vikas Yadav — accused of shooting model Jessica Lall in full public view — not only got anticipatory bail, but after a brief four months in jail, was free on bail. Yet Sen, accused with evidence that is fast unravelling, has spent the last 19 months in jail. The reasons for denying bail have also raised a storm. Sen is accused of non-bailable offences, and the special laws he has been booked under don't affect his bail rights. Sen first applied for bail before the Raipur Sessions Court and then the Chhattisgarh High Court in July 2007, soon after his arrest. Typically, a bail court's primary concern is not the applicant's guilt or innocence; it is to ask whether, if released on bail, the applicant would interfere with the trial. Will he, for instance, run away? Influence witnesses? Is he required for further police inquiry? How respectable is he? Sen has been honoured by the Indian Academy of Social Sciences and recently won the Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health. "Sen was never required for investigation," DGP Vishwa Ranjan concedes, but cautions: "I will definitely oppose bail as Binayak Sen is an important man, and in a position to influence witnesses". But while opposing bail in court, the state of Chhattisgarh didn't list out any witnesses likely to be influenced. According to Sen's lawyer, Supreme Court senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, this is because "the evidence against Sen is documentary, there are no witnesses to influence". The Sessions Court and Chhattisgarh High Court denied him bail in July 2007. Since charges had not yet been framed at the time, the courts relied on police allegations of a "strong prima facie case" to deny bail. This bail rejection was questioned before the Supreme Court in December 2007. Since there is no inherent right to approach the Supreme Court for bail, the court can refuse to hear the matter altogether. On December 10, 2007, the Supreme Court declined to hear the petition but gave no reason. For the Chhattisgarh government, this counts as moral validation. Soon after winning the state elections in November 2008, Chief Minister Raman Singh brushed off questions on Binayak Sen with: "even the Supreme Court has denied him bail. What is my role?" Since the matter is in court, judges — past and present — are reluctant to take a public stand. Former chief justice and current NHRC chairperson Rajendra Babu declined to comment as "the matter is sub-judice". But former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee termed Sen's detention "on fabricated charges" as "illegal" and Rajeev Dhavan called it "the single biggest blot on freedom for bail that we have seen in a while". The Chhattisgarh High Court reected a second, more recent bail petition in November 2008. This time, the court refused to consider the unravelling evidence in the trial court as weighing the "arguments relating to the examination of the witnesses"is not an exercise to be undertaken by a bail court". Sen's arrest has provoked international outrage, with demonstrations in India and abroad. Amnesty International, as well as 22 Nobel laureates, Amartya Sen included, have called for his release. BJP spokesperson and senior lawyer Ravi Shankar Prasad, the party in-charge for Chhattisgarh, dismisses this as part of "a systemic international campaign which ignores that in the recent state elections, the people of Chhattisgarh, both urban and rural, have spoken in favour of the government". Sen's legal woes have taken on political colours. State Congress leader Ajit Jogi says: "I know Binayak Sen to be an honest, selfless, server of the poor. To deny bail to such a person is totally wrong. While I can't comment on the court's decision, if I was chief minister, I wouldn't have opposed bail". Wife Ilina Sen recently met P Chidambaram. "He was very sympathetic" she says, "but pointed out that the matter was out of his hands, and the decision rested solely with the state of Chhattisgarh". The Chhattisgarh Government continues to oppose bail. Ravi Shankar Prasad cautions against "glossing over the naked violence of the Naxalites under the cover of Binayak Sen". At the centre of the storm, Sen remains in Central Jail, Raipur and his trial will likely last a couple of years. Doctors from Sen's alma mater CMC Vellore, along with medics from Raipur and Bilaspur, have examined him and certify to his "persistent loss of weight, heart problems and arthritis". Wife Ilina worries that Sen has a "suspected prostrate problem". Illness, alone, can be grounds for granting bail. Meanwhile, the trial continues in Raipur. Key witnesses are turning hostile, and the case itself is fast unravelling. (To be continued) Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) 2. 36garh Diary | 12 Jan | 2009 Posted by: "Shubhranshu Choudhary" s...@cgnet.in Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:29 pm (PST) Chhattisgarh forms special squad to tackle terrorism The Times of India Mon, 12 Jan 2009 0:11 AM PST RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh has set up an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to counter any Mumbai-like terrorist strike in the state. "ATS came into existence Jan 10. The ATS commandos are now ready to respond to any terror challenge at very short notice," Director General of Police (DGP) Vishawa Ranjan said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Chhattisgarh_squad_to_tackle_terrorism/articleshow/3967193.cms Suspected Naxal commits suicide in CRPF custody The Times of India Sun, 11 Jan 2009 5:43 AM PST A suspected Maoist has allegedly committed suicide in CRPF custody in Aranpur village in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Suspected_Naxal_commits_suicide_in_CRPF_custody/rssarticleshow/3964293.cms Adivasis getting commando style training in West Bengal New Kerala Sat, 10 Jan 2009 7:39 PM PST By Ajitha Menon, Bankura-Purulia border (West Bengal), Jan.10 : Over one thousand Adivasi men and women are being given 'commando' training in Taldanga village on the Bankura-Purulia border in West Bengal http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-72718.html Naxals call for 'bandh' in Pakahnjore Hindu - Chennai,India Raipur (PTI) Markets remained shut with a trickle of vehicular movement on roads in Pakahnjore area of Kanker district following a 'bandh' called by ... http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200812151881.htm Boy sacrificed in Chhattisgarh? Sify - Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India Raipur: A nine-year-old boy's beheaded body was found near the Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh and the father alleged that the boy had been "sacrificed" to ... http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14834446 Millers strike called off in Chhattisgarh Indopia - India Raipur , Jan 9 The six-day-long strike by rice millers led by Chhattisgarh Pradesh Rice Millers Association (CPRMA) for hike in custom milling rate of paddy ... http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/474931/National/1/20/1 Chhattisgarh forms commando battalion to deal with terrorism Indopia - India The third battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces, based at Amleshwar has been converted into Chhattisgarh Commando Battalion to form an efficient ... http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/474725/National/1/20/1 Indira Gandhi museum turns an educational centre Times of India - India "Ghotul" or the youth dormitory of the Muria tribal people (Bastar, Chattisgarh), a traditional institution for learning music, dance, and games, ... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mysore/Indira_Gandhi_museum_turns_an_educational_centre/articleshow/3960721.cms Illicit opium cultivation, main source of income for naxals Hindu - Chennai,India New Delhi (PTI): Ever wondered how the naxals get the money to procure latest arms and sustain their growing cadre? The answer lies in the obscure world of http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200901111021.htm Centre asks states to work jointly to nab 14 top Naxal leaders Times of India - India NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked states to work out a joint strategy and pool their intelligence to trace and nab naxal top guns, including their "supreme ... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Centre_asks_states_to_work_jointly_to_nab_14_top_Naxal_leaders/articleshow/3961111.cms Pool intel to nab Naxal top guns, Centre tells states The Times of India Sat, 10 Jan 2009 3:56 PM PST NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked states to work out a joint strategy and pool their intelligence to trace and nab Naxal top guns, including their "supreme commander" Muppala Laxamana Rao alias Ganapathi, who have been running the Red Ultra network. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Pool_intel_to_nab_Naxal_top_guns/articleshow/3962285.cms Life is hell for my people: Chhattisgarh legislator New Kerala Fri, 09 Jan 2009 9:41 PM PST By Sujeet Kumar, Raipur, Jan 10 : A Congress legislator who represents one of the worst Maoist insurgency-hit constituencies in Chhattisgarh says the 'government has no presence whatsoever' in at least 60 villages in the state and life is 'like hell' for people in the area. http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-72209.html Blackmarketeers have field day due to petrol shortage New Kerala Fri, 09 Jan 2009 8:54 PM PST Raipur, Jan 9 : Blackmarketeers struck it rich in the Chhattisgarh capital Friday -- selling petrol for as much as Rupees.80 a litre -- after dozens of petrol pumps went dry due to a strike by oil sector employees. http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-72089.html College students in Chhattisgarh suspended for ragging juniors Calcutta News Sat, 10 Jan 2009 1:29 AM PST Fourteen students at a college in the city were Saturday suspended by the authorities, a day after the police registered a case against them for ragging their juniors throughout the night. http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/451994 Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) 3a. Re: Fwd: AGENT OF CHANGE - He made Chhattisgarh's right to know  aff Posted by: "rahul" aaroh...@yahoo.com   aarohini Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:33 pm (PST) congratulations prateek. the rti act is indeed a very good weapon. incidentally the nrega website has a public grievance redressal link which i have just used. let us see how effective that is. Rahul Banerjee 74,Krishnodayanagar,Khandwa naka,Indore,Madhya Pradesh, India-452001 Cell no: +919926791773 webpage: http://rahulbanerjee.notlong.com blog: http://anar-kali.blogspot.com --- On Mon, 12/1/09, Prateek Pandey <prateekconsult@gmail.com> wrote: From: Prateek Pandey <prateekconsult@gmail.com> Subject: [chhattisgarh-net] Fwd: AGENT OF CHANGE - He made Chhattisgarh's right to know affordable To: chhattisgarh-n...@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, 12 January, 2009, 10:08 AM Dear Moderator Please find the link below.It was published on 08.01.09 in Hindustan Times,Delhi Edition,Page No.10. With Thanks Prateek ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <anshumanjha@ yahoo.com> Date: Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:41 AM Subject: AGENT OF CHANGE - He made Chhattisgarh's right to know affordable To: prateekconsult@ gmail.com anshuman saw this article on HindustanTimes ePaper, and thought you would find it interesting. You can find it at: 'AGENT OF CHANGE - He made Chhattisgarh's right to know affordable' anshuman also sent the following message: Prateek Story in HT- 08th Jan 09-Delhi HindustanTimes ePaper - Digital replica of Print Edition. ePaper Solution by Pressmart Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (2) 4. Re: Information on Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Natya Samaroh by IPTA Ra Posted by: "adv sudha" advsudha...@yahoo.co.in   advsudhacmm Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:09 am (PST) Dear friends, IPTA had a glorious role in the struggle against British colonialism. And of course propogating progressive and radical drama and poetry is extremely commendable. But I was rather concerned to hear that Jindal company had sponsored some festivals in the past. Even when on 5th January 2007, a brutal lathicharge was being carried out at Tamnar block in Raigarh district on villagers assembled in a public hearing to protest acquisition for coal blacks for Jindal, the DGP Mr. Vishwaranjan was inaugurating the festival at Raigarh. I would sincerely urge the organisers that art is not only for arts sake. Today when there is a severe imperialist onslaught on our people, and for the people of Chhattisgarh it is taking the form of loot of mineral resources through forcible displacement and using the Indian face of companies like Jindal, the role of art should be to inspire and support the struggling people. We should not lend any legitimacy, knowlingly or unnowingly,  to those who exploit and supress them. I hope you will appreciate the spirit of my criticism. With regards, Sudha Bharadwaj Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/ Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity  11 New Members Visit Your Group Yahoo! Finance It's Now Personal Guides, news, advice & more. Y! Messenger PC-to-PC calls Call your friends worldwide - free! John McEnroe on Yahoo! Groups Join him for the 10 Day Challenge. Need to Reply? Click one of the "Reply" links to respond to a specific message in the Daily Digest. Create New Topic | Visit Your Group on the Web Messages Visit our website: http://www.cgnet.in MARKETPLACE From kitchen basics to easy recipes - join the Group from Kraft Foods Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Individual | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe