Maoist Links Case: Bombay HC’s Nagpur Bench Wraps Up Arguments On Plea Of GN Saibaba

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has recently wrapped up the arguments in the appeal of Delhi University’s former professor GN Saibaba, and his 4 associates against their conviction under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in a Maoist links case.

The division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki Menezes overseen the appeal proceedings which has instructed both parties to submit their arguments in writing by Monday.

Besides Saibaba, Mahesh Kariman Tirki, Hem Keshavdatta Mishra, Prashant Rahi Narayan Sanglikar and Vijay Nan Tirki filed an appeal in the Maoist links case.

Previously, on October 14, 2022, a High Court bench of Justices Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare acquitted Saibaba and the 4 others on the ground that were sanctioned to prosecute them under the UAPA was invalid.

The Maharashtra government challenged the decision before the Supreme Court.

In April this year the Supreme Court set aside the acquittal and remanded the matter back to the high court for a fresh consideration on merits within 4 months.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and CT Ravikumar directed the chief justice of the Bombay High Court to place Saibaba’s appeal and that of other accused not before the same bench which had acquitted them, but another bench.