HC frees ex-professor Saibaba from life term, acquits 4 others in Maoist case | India News

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court Friday acquitted wheelchair-bound ex-DU professor GN Saibaba and four others of aiding and abetting Naxal activities and waging war against the state, declaring “null and void” proceedings in the Gadchiroli sessions court since 2014 that culminated in them being sentenced to life in jail under the UAPA five years ago.
“While the war against terror must be waged by the state with unwavering resolve… a civil democratic society can ill afford sacrificing the procedural safeguards legislatively provided… at the altar of perceived peril to national security,” the high court said.

Hours later, the Maharashtra government got solicitor general Tushar Mehta to make an oral plea in the Supreme Court seeking an ex parte stay on Saibaba’s acquittal, which the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli refused. “He has got an acquittal order in his favour. Even if we take the case on Monday, assuming that we may issue the notice, we cannot stay the order,” the bench said before agreeing to ask the registry to list the plea for an urgent hearing at 11am on Saturday after requesting the CJI for constitution of a special bench.