Bombay High Court acquits former DU professor GN Saibaba in Maoist links case

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday acquitted former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba and five others accused of having links with Maoists, reported Bar and Bench.

Saibaba was first arrested in the case in May 2014 but was granted bail twice. He has been lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail since a sessions court convicted him on March 7, 2017.

A bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki SA Menezes set aside the judgement of a sessions court that had convicted the accused persons in 2017. Apart from Saibaba, the High Court acquitted Mahesh Tirki, Pandu Pora Narote, Hem Keshwdatta Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Vijay Nan Tirki. Narote died in prison on August 26, 2022 due to swine flu.

On October 14, 2022, the High Court had  holding that a sessions court in Gadchiroli charged Saibaba under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act without sanction from the Centre. However, the order was suspended by the Supreme Court a day later on a petition filed by the maharashtra government.

On April 19, 2023, a division bench of the top court comprising Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar set aside the acquittal order and remanded the matter to the High Court for fresh consideration.