Maoist Links Case: Maharashtra Govt Moves Supreme Court Against Bombay High Court Acquittal of GN Saibaba and Five Others

Hours after the Bombay High Court acquitted former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba and five other accused in an alleged Maoist links case, the Maharashtra government approached the Supreme Court of India against the decision on Tuesday, March 5. 

Earlier in the day, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court acquitted former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in alleged Maoist links case and allowed his appeal against conviction and life sentence. A division bench of Justice Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare allowed the appeal filed by Saibaba challenging a 2017 order of the trial court convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

Also Read | Maoist Links Case: Bombay High Court Acquits Former Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba, Five Others.

Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound due to a physical disability, is currently lodged at the Nagpur central prison. The bench also allowed the appeal of five other convicts in the case and acquitted them. One of the five died pending hearing of the appeal.

The Court said that the accused can be released from prison upon deposit of Rs 50,000 each as bail bonds till the Supreme Court decides State's appeal. During the trial at the Sessions Court in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, the prosecution contended that the accused were working for the banned CPI (Maoist) group through front organizations such as RDF.