Unlawful Arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen
Letters on 14 May 2007 to:
- The Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi
- The Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh
- The Director General of Police, Government of Chhattisgarh
- The Home Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh
Unlawful Arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen, human rights activist, PUCL Chhattisgarh
Dear Sir/Madam,
Renowned human rights activist and President of PUCL Chhattisgarh, Dr. Binayak Sen, has become the latest victim of state oppression in Chhattisgarh. After many weeks of harassment and having false cases slapped against him, the police arrested Dr. Binayak today. We deplore this illegal detention and state harassment. Given the track record of the Chhattisgarh police, it is very likely that his life will be at risk
NTUI requests you to take up the case of Dr. Binayak Sen without any delay as his life is at stake, and provide credible assurance mechanism monitored by the NHRC to safeguard his legal rights and life by ensuring that no arrest is made under the Special Public Security Act.
Before the arrest, press reports falsely stated hat Dr. Binayak had fled and might have gone underground. The police, claiming that he was missing and untraceable, had secured a search warrant of his house in his absence. It is now a verified fact that he had in fact left Raipur for Kolkata on May 2nd along with his family to look after his ailing mother and spend a few days with her. Without verifying his whereabouts, the police spread the false rumour that he had fled to avoid the police with relation to some case. The police had been trying to frame him in a false case indicating that he had links with alleged Maoists. He was arrested when he returned to Chhattisgarh.
Dr. Binayak Sen has been a staunch defender of human rights for decades and brought to light some very glaring violations of human rights by the state in Chhattisgarh as well as in other parts of the country. He has been a part of many fact finding investigation teams including on the atrocities on Dalits in Khairlanji (Maharashtra), Salwa Judum repression of Adivasis in Bastar (Chhattisgarh), and many others in the states of West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. He also hosted the PUCL National Conference in Raipur some time back.
It is a matter of grave concern when the state police perpetrates nothing short of a witch-hunt upon a human rights defender like Dr. Binayak. Democracy demands that he exercise his constitutional right to expose undemocratic and unjust practices and human rights violations. We are sure that our request will find immediate attention and reinforce our faith in the mechanism to uphold and ensure human rights in India
Sincerely yours,
Ashim Roy
General Secretary