Rights activist Binayak Sen and two others – Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha – have been sentenced to life under charges of sedition by a Raipur court. They were charged with helping the Maoists in their fight against the state. Pronouncing the judgement today 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. Sen, 58, 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 May 14 in 2007 from Bilaspur. He was present in the court along with Sanyal and Guha.