Shoma Sen

Shoma Sen is an assistant professor and head of the English literature department of the Nagpur University, and a women's rights activist.[1]

Shoma has worked with the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), a human rights organisation. Shoma has been the president of Nagpur University Teachers' Association (NUTA).

She was arrested on 6 June 2018 by the Pune Police, and later suspended from her position in Nagpur University. No charges have been proved yet by the prosecution and an ongoing case is due for trial at the Bombay High Court. Shoma has spent more than 528 days (1 and half years) of incarceration already.

Personal life

Shoma was born and raised in an upper-middle class Bengali family in Bandra, Mumbai. She did her schooling from St. Joseph's Convent. After completing her master's degree from Elphinstone College in Mumbai, she pursued her M.Phil and Ph.D in Nagpur University. She is married to Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, a writer and translator and has a daughter, Koel, who is a filmmaker. Shoma lives in Nagpur.[1][2]

Activism

Shoma was a part of a women's organisation in Nagpur, called Stree Chetna which discussed issues such as violence against women and dowry deaths.[3]

Arrest

On 8 June 2018, she was arrested by the Pune Police along with Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Surendra Gadling and Rona Wilson. They were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon violence. At the time of her arrest, she was nearing retirement.[1][2] On June 15, she was suspended from her position in Nagpur University on grounds that she had been in police custody for more than 48 hours.[4]

References
  1. "The People's Fighters: Meet the Five Arrested in the Bhima Koregaon Case". The Wire. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  2. Johari, Aarefa. "A poet, a lawyer, a professor: These are the five activists held for sparking Bhima Koregaon clashes". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  3. "Arrested professor Shoma Sen's daughter Koel says: My mother's been tagged a Maoist after lifetime of working for others - Firstpost". www.firstpost.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  4. "Nagpur varsity suspends Prof Shoma Sen held for alleged Maoist links". Hindustan Times. 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
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