New Delhi: Former Delhi University professor and renowned human rights activist G.N. Saibaba, known for his academic contributions and his legal battle against allegations of Maoist links, passed away on Saturday due to health complications at NIMS hospital.
Saibaba, a professor of English at DU, was suspended in 2014 following his arrest by Maharashtra police on suspicion of links with the banned CPI(M). The arrest led to his incarceration in Nagpur Central Jail, where he served time for several years.
In 2017, a Maharashtra sessions court convicted the wheel-chaired Saibaba and five others – Mahesh Tirki, Pandu Narote, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, and Vijay Tirki – of involvement with Maoist groups and activities considered to be waging war against the state. However, earlier this year, the Bombay High Court acquitted Saibaba, granting him release after a long legal struggle.
Saibaba had claimed that his arrest involved mistreatment, alleging that Maharashtra police officers had “kidnapped” him from Delhi and threatened his family. Despite these claims, he spent years in prison until his acquittal.
His death marks the end of a turbulent chapter in his life, remembered for both his academic achievements and the legal controversies that surrounded him.
