India human rights activist to be freed on bail

India human rights activist to be freed on bail New Delhi - India's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the release on bail of human rights activist Binayak Sen who has been jailed for over two years in the central state of Chhattisgarh.

Sen, 59, has been in jail since May 14, 2007 after he was charged by the state government with having links with Maoist rebels in the state. He denied the charge.

Justices Markandey Katju and Deepak Verma ruled after Sen applied for bail on grounds of ill health. He had been suffering from a heart condition and doctors advised treatment in a hospital in southern India.

"It's the happiest moment in my life. He has been in jail for over two years without any reason and that caused a lot of trauma," his daughter Aparajita Sen told reporters. "It is a big relief for our family".

Sen was booked under the unlawful activities act and a state public security act.

Local media reported that Sen had been charged with being a member of a terrorist organization after Sen criticized the manner in which the Chhattisgarh government was dealing with the Maoist insurgency.

The reports said that the charges on Sen were serious enough for him to be punished with a life sentence or the death penalty.

His arrest provoked several protests in India and abroad, with human rights organizations calling Sen's arrest a "dark spot" on Indian democracy.

Last year, 22 Nobel laureates appealed to the Indian government to release Sen. They argued that the two internal security laws under which Sen was charged did not conform to international human rights standards.(dpa)