Bombay High Court’s Nagpur bench has acquitted former DU professor GN Saibaba and 5 others in the case of them allegedly having links with Maoists. The High Court noted that the order sanctioning the prosecution of the accused under the strict provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was ‘legally incorrect and void’, and therefore, the order of the lower court deserved to be set aside and cancelled.
Justices Rohit Dev and Anil Pansare said this while accepting a petition challenging the 2017 order of the trial court, convicting Saibaba and awarding him life imprisonment. While delivering the 101-paged verdict, the bench ordered the immediate release of Saibaba. The NIA has filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the verdict, and the apex court has refused to grant a stay order on the High Court’s decision. At the same time, the Maharashtra government also reached the Supreme Court against the acquittal.
Professor GN Saibaba’s wife, AS Vasant Kumari said that she was confident of her husband being acquitted. She added that neither was there a crime, nor any evidence against him. She mentioned that she was thankful of the judiciary and everyone who supported them.
