In a significant development, the Bombay High Court has acquitted former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba and five others in a case involving alleged Maoist links. This verdict overturns the life imprisonment sentences handed down to them by a session court in Gadchiroli on March 7, 2017, marking a major legal victory for the defendants.
The case, which saw Saibaba and his co-accused convicted for their purported connections with Left-Wing Extremist organizations and for allegedly “waging war” against India, has been subject to intense scrutiny and legal proceedings for several years. The session court in Gadchiroli had also convicted JNU student Hem Mishra, former journalist Prashant Rahi, Pandu Narote, and Mahesh Tirki under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The division bench of the Bombay High Court, comprising Justice Vinay G Joshi and Justice Valmiki SA Menezes, delivered the verdict after concluding the hearing and reserving judgment in September 2023, following directives from the Supreme Court. The appeals against the session court’s judgment were filed by Saibaba, Tirki, Mishra, Narote, and Rahi.
The session court’s verdict, which found Saibaba and others guilty of “waging war” against the state and maintaining close ties with banned Left-Wing Extremist groups, including the Communist Party of India (Maoist), was contested vehemently by the defendants and their legal representatives.
Saibaba, a specially-abled English professor, had been arrested by Maharashtra police in May 2014 from his Delhi residence and subsequently imprisoned at Nagpur Central Prison. Despite being granted interim bail by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, he was rearrested later. His suspension from Delhi University followed his conviction by the session court.
The allegations against Saibaba gained traction after JNU student Hem Mishra, apprehended in 2013, claimed during interrogation to have acted as a courier between Saibaba and Maoist leaders. However, the Bombay High Court found these allegations baseless, leading to the acquittal of all the accused, including Saibaba, on Tuesday.
In response to the verdict, Sandip Patil, the inspector general of anti-naxalite operations in Maharashtra, announced that the government would appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.
Vasantha GN, Saibaba’s wife, expressed relief and gratitude for the high court’s ruling, thanking individuals and human rights activists who stood by Saibaba throughout the legal ordeal. The acquittal brings an end to a prolonged legal battle, offering hope and vindication to the defendants amidst their arduous journey through the justice system.
Sources By Agencies
