A human rights officer with People's Watch, Gopen Sharma who is facing up to ten years imprisonment was denied an application for bail on 26 February 2007. This rejection followed a series of failed attempts to hold a bail hearing.

The Prosecutor did not submit any evidence or documentation to back the accusations and during the hearing of the bail application the public prosecutor admitted that the statements recorded against Gopen Sharma all related to a case, which was heard 3 years ago. Despite this the judge rejected the application for bail. Gopen Sharma has already been detained for 20 days since his arrest on 8 February 2007.

People’s Watch is a National Project on Prevention of Torture in India and based in the Murshidabad District of West Bengal. Prior to his arrest, Gopen Sharma was involved in a human rights verification mission researching human rights violations perpetrated by police officers against local villagers. The mission collected testimonies from victims and submitted petitions and complaints concerning human rights violations to various government authorities.

Front Line believes that Gopen Sharma was arrested under fabricated charges in violation of established procedures and codes of police conduct in India and is being held to prevent him from carrying out his human rights investigations into police torture and extra-judicial killings by the Border Security Force (BSF). On the day of Gopen Sharma's arrest, he was visiting Kaharpara Border to get updated information about one murder case allegedly committed by the BSF 136 Battalion on 1 June 2006.

Front Line urges the Indian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Gopen Sharma and drop all charges against him. Front Line also urges the authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Gopen Sharma, while he remains in detention.