Rights activist Binayak Sen, Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha were on Friday found guilty of sedition by a Raipur court for helping the Maoists in their fight against the state.

Additional District and Sessions Judge B P Verma held the trio guilty under provisions of section 124 IPC (sedition), 120 B IPC (conspiracy) and Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act. 58-year-old Sen, a paediatrician by training, had been accused by the prosecution of carrying messages and letters from Sanyal to the underground Maoists.

Guha was also found involved in helping the Maoists establish a network.

Binayak, a PUCL activist, was arrested on 14th May, 2007 from Bilaspur.

He was present in the court along with Sanyal and Guha. The sentencing is expected later in the day.

Reacting to the conviction of Sen, his wife Elina Sen said, “What happens now is we take whatever legal recourse is available to us. We will not be able to do it immediately because higher courts are on vacation.”

Terming the verdict as “completely irrational”, she said, “It is not a judgement that I would agree with.”

Elina, who was present in the court during the trial, claimed, “Not a single piece of evidence came up to support this kind of conviction — sedition and conspiracy against the state. I hope justice will prevail.”