Nagpur: Delhi University Professor G N Saibaba surrendered to police as directed by the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court after cancelling his regular bail application. Saibaba was arrested in May 2014 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged links with Naxals. On July 3, a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Mumbai had granted Saibaba bail on reports that his health was deteriorated severely after 14 months in Nagpur jail. Wheelchair-bound Saibaba is over 90% disabled. He has been paralysed from waist-downward since contracting polio in childhood.
However, on Wednesday (December 23), in a 22-page order the single-judge bench of Justice AB Chaudhari canceled Saibaba’s bail and ordered him to surrender at Nagpur Central Jail within 48 hours by December 25, failing which he would be arrested. Following the High Court directives, the Delehi University Professor surrendered on Friday.
Justice Chaudhary, while dismissing the bail application, declined the request to grant more time to Saibaba to surrender and directed the police to arrest him if he failed to turn up within two days. The High Court had cited a medical report which clearly stated that proper medical aid was extended to Saibaba by the doctors when he was lodged in the Nagpur prison. The judge also rejected the argument that the evidence against him was very weak, and noted that earlier a single bench had rejected the bail application on merit, and that he will not take a divergent view. Saibaba was arrested in May 2014 by Gadchiroli police for alleged active links with Maoists.
