Somen's bail plea rejected

"We had submitted three petitions demanding his bail, political-prisoner status and asked for medical assistance as he is suffering from several diseases. The court, however, refused to grant the first two pleas," said Somen's lawyer Mallinath Ganguly. He added, The Naxalites are carrying out a mass movement and people are its strength."

Twelve days after his arrest from Hridaypur in North 24 Parganas, Somen was produced in Barasat court amid tight security. Till date he was in the CID lock-up at Bhawani Bhavan. On Friday, the police picked up Somen from Bhawani Bhavan and drove to the Barasat police station at 7 am in a convoy of three cars under strict vigilance of the State Armed Police (SAP). Around 8.45 am, a bomb disposal squad arrived and conducted a thorough inspection of the court premises.

Somen's wife Sikha Sen Roy said, "My husband was the leader of a democratic mass movement. He was never a criminal nor did he have any link with militant groups. All imprisoned Naxal leaders should be treated as political prisoners."

She criticised the fact that the police had tied up Somen with a rope before producing him in court. "He is a political leader and not a criminal. So police should not treat him as other criminals."

When Chief Judicial Magistrate Susmita Ray asked Somen whether he had anything to say about the charges against him or his stay in the police custody, he said: "The food was okay. But I could not sleep and am tired."

His mother Binapani Sen Roy said his blood pressure has shot up because he has not been sleeping well.