[Reader-list] From White House to ISI, prosecution casts wide net

[anupam chakravartty]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Reports-of-ISI-link-Indian-Social-Institute-says-Sens-wife/articleshow/7088577.cms

RAIPUR: The wife of civil rights activist Binayak
Sen<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Binayak%20Sen>,
who is facing charges of colluding with
Naxals<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Naxals>,
today expressed shock over reports that the prosecution tried to link the
couple to 'ISI' during arguments at a court here.

She told TV news channel that the ISI mentioned in an e-mail sent by her
which was reportedly referred to by the public prosecutor was Indian Social
Institute<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Indian%20Social%20Institute>,
a reputed Delhi-based research and advocacy organisation.

Sen, a People's Union of Civil
Liberties<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=People%27s%20Union%20of%20Civil%20Liberties>leader
who was in jail for two years before being granted bail by the
Supreme Court in May last year, has been accused by Chhattisgarh
police<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Chhattisgarh%20police>of
acting as a courier for a jailed Naxal leader.

According to media reports, during closing arguments of Sen's trial here,
the public prosecutor tried to link him and his wife Elina to an
international terror network.

"Elina Sen has also written an e-mail to one Fernandes from the ISI. We do
not know if this is the Pakistan's ISI, but there is some significance to
this," he reportedly said.

Expressing shock over the report, Elina said the ISI referred here is Indian
Social Institute.

"In fact, yesterday among the many things I did in
Delhi<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Delhi>(before coming to
Raipur last night) was to visit the Indian Social
Institute, which is what is referred to as ISI in the story," she said.

If the prosecution is "resorting to this at this stage of the trial when not
a shred of evidence has come against my husband, it really points to their
desperation," she said.