SC grants bail to G N Saibaba in sedition case

04 April, New Delhi

The Supreme Court today granted bail to former Delhi University Professor and accused in a sedition case G N Saibaba, who is facing trial for his alleged links with the banned Maoists.

After hearing in-detail the plea of Saibaba, a division bench comprising Justices Jagdish Singh Khehar and C Nagappan, said, “You (The prosecution) have been extremely unfair to the accused. If the material witnesses have been examined, then why do you want him in jail. You are unnecessarily harassing the petitioner (Saibaba).”

Saibaba, an English professor at the Delhi University’s Ram Lal Anand College was arrested by the Maharashtra police on May 9, 2014, for his alleged links with the Maoists. He has been on bail since June last year.

The former Professor was arrested for being a member of the banned CPI-Maoist.In December last year, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had rejected Saibaba’s bail application forcing him to approach the apex court for bail.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked a Maharashtra trial court to conduct day-to-day trial in the case. It had also said that it might consider granting bail to Saibaba after the trial court examined key witnesses in the case.

The apex court had earlier asked Saibaba to co-operate with the prosecution during the trial. It also had asked the counsel for the state government to point out the factual position of the trial.