Are Naxals political prisoners? Kolkata court decides today

A special NIA court in Kolkata will on Thursday decide the pleas of nine alleged Maoists seeking the status of political prisoners. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the accused following the seizure of a large amount of cash and sophisticated rocket launchers. The NIA took over the probe from the West Bengal Police Special Task Force in February 2012.

In its order of September 25, the special court of A K Mondal had said, "It appears that some question of law... is required to be clarified. No time today. The hearing is deferred to October 4, 2012."

The alleged Maoists had asked the special court on September 7 "...to declare (them) as political prisoners and... direct Home authority... to treat them as political prisoners within the ambit of West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992..."

The petition followed a ruling by Calcutta High Court Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia on August 8, giving status of political prisoners to seven alleged Naxals who had filed a criminal revision petition in connection with cases registered against them in 2009.

The NIA opposed the plea before the special court, arguing that the nine were members of the banned CPI (Maoist), and that five of them had been chargesheeted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code. "The NIA has vehemently opposed the plea of the nine... In case the court grants them the status of political prisoners, we will appeal," a home ministry official said.

Plea against CBI move to close CMO death case

LUCKNOW: Five days after the CBI said former deputy CMO Y S Sachan, accused in the NRHM scam, committed suicide, Sachchidanand Gupta, on whose plea the HC had ordered a probe into the death, filed a petition asking for the rejection of the CBI closure report because it had inconsistencies.

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