Justices MR Shah and Hima Kohli directed the parties to complete their pleadings on the matter.
Posted Date – Thu, 08 Dec 22 at 01:45pm
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday released the Maharashtra government’s plea on January 17, 2023 against the Mumbai High Court to acquit former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba in the case of alleged Maoist ties.
Justices MR Shah and Hima Kohli directed the parties to complete their pleadings on the matter.
“Deputy Attorney-General Tushar Mehta said the full evidence of the record including 10 volumes along with facilitation compliance will be filed within a week,” the bench said.
If there is a counterclaim, it must be filed within 10 days, it said.
Senior Counsel R Basant appeared for Saibaba.
The Supreme Court on October 15 suspended the Bombay High Court’s order to acquit Saibaba and others in the Maoist links case.
It rejected Sai Baba’s plea to order his release from prison and put him under house arrest after the Maharashtra government objected to prayers, saying it has now emerged New trend of “urban Naxalites” seeking house arrest.
Eight years after his arrest in 2014, the Bombay High Court on October 14 acquitted Saibaba and ordered his release from prison, noting that under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) “legally wrong, invalid”.
HC’s Nagpur judge allowed Saibaba to appeal challenging the trial court’s 2017 order convicting him under the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposing a life sentence.
Apart from Saibaba, the court sentenced Mahesh Kariman Tirki, Pandu Pora Narote (all farmers), Hem Keshavdatta Mishra (student) and Prashant Sanglikar (journalist) who were sentenced to life imprisonment and Vijay Tirki (laborer) who were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Offense to 10 years imprisonment. Narote died while the appeal was pending.
