Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba dies at 54

Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, who spent a decade in prison over alleged Maoist links before being acquitted earlier this year, died on Saturday.
The 57-year-old died due to post-operative complications after undergoing surgery for gallbladder infection. He was admitted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad for the last 20 days.
In March, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted Saibaba and five others in the alleged Maoist links case, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove the charges. The court also overturned his life sentence.
The High Court overturned his sentence, terming the sanction for prosecution granted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as “null and void.”
The court stated that the sanction granted under the UAPA by the state authorities lacked proper consideration. It described the report submitted by the independent authority, which recommended invoking UAPA provisions, as a “cryptic and concise half-page communication.”
Saibaba had been lodged in jail since 2017 following his conviction by a trial court in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. Before that, he was in prison from 2014 to 2016 before being granted bail.