On Saturday, the Supreme Court delayed the Bombay High Court’s decision exonerating former Delhi University (DU) professor G N Saibaba and others in the case of a Maoist connection. The high court exonerated Saibaba and the other accused parties on Friday. An apex court panel made up of justices M R Shah and Bela M Trivedi rejected Saibaba’s home detention request. The case was heard on a non-working day. This was brought on by Saibaba’s physical impairment and failing health. It prevented Saibaba and the other defendants in the case from being released from custody as directed by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.
In response to a petition filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the high court ruling, it requested comments from Saibaba and the other defendants. Saibaba was released from jail on Friday, more than eight years after his detention, when the Bombay High Court declared that the sanction order given to prosecute the accused in the case under the strict guidelines of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was “wrong in law and void.”
The Nagpur bench of the high court upheld Saibaba’s appeal against a 2017 judgement of the trial court that found him guilty of the crime and gave him a life sentence in jail. Aside from Saibaba, the court found not guilty Mahesh Kariman Tirki, and Pandu Pora Narote, all farmers; Hem Keshavdatta Mishra, a student; Prashant Sanglikar, a journalist; and Vijay Tirki, a labourer, who received a 10-year prison term. While the appeal was pending, Narote passed away. The 52-year-old wheelchair-bound Saibaba is currently being held in a significant prison in Nagpur. His arrest took place in February 2014.
All India Students Association (AISA) members from Delhi University have declared that they will protest today at 3 PM in opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the release of former DU professor GN Saibaba and others from prison as ordered by the Bombay HC in the Maoist-links case. “Down with politically spiteful Maharashtra Govt!” read the protest sign. Now release our teacher!
