Indias Supreme Court has ordered the release on bail of a leading public health specialist and human-rights activist, Dr Binayak Sen, BBC online reports Monday.
Dr Sen has been in jail for two years. He is accused of links with Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh state, where the rebels have a strong presence. Dr Sen denies the charge. Last year, he said in court that he did not support the Maoists.
Dr Sen, a trained paediatrician, was working with poor tribal people in Chhattisgarh, when he was detained in 2007. He ran a weekly clinic for the local tribals and was piloting a community-based health programme.
Last year, human-rights groups, intellectuals and more than 2.000 doctors worldwide signed petitions demanding Dr Sens release. Dr Sen was also awarded the prestigious Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights for his services to poor and tribal communities and his unwavering commitment to civil liberties and human rights.
His efforts in public health programmes, say local doctors, helped in bringing down the infant mortality rate in the state and deaths caused by diarrhoea and dehydration.
