Published On : Mon, Feb 22nd, 2016

HC adjourns proceedings in DU Prof Saibaba’s case to next week

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Prof. SaibabaNagpur: The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Monday adjourned the proceedings in the matter pertaining to Delhi University Professor G N Saibaba, arrested for alleged links with Naxals, to next week. The High Court was hearing the matter over various issues including the petitioner seeking exemption from appearance and State Government seeking the court instructions regarding whether the arrested professor can be kept in Gadchiroli itself near the Court complex with medical assistance or not.
During the hearing held in December last, the High Court had rejected the regular bail application filed by Saibaba and had directed him to surrender.

The Court, taking a serious view of criticism of the judiciary by Booker prize-winner writer Arundhati Roy in her article about the professor, Justice Arun Choudhary had also issued a criminal contempt notice to her. 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 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 lawyers of the wheelchair-bound Saibaba had pleaded for an extension of bail on the ground of his health. 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 of Maharashtra for alleged active links with Maoists.