Left outfits demand Prof Saibaba's release, hold protest at Jantar Mantar

Protesting against the recent conviction of Delhi University (DU) professor GN Saibaba and five others, members of Left-wing organisations held a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding their immediate release.

Saibaba, a 90 per cent disabled professor at DU's Ram Lal Anand College, along with JNU student Hem Mishra and others, has been sentenced to life in prison by a sessions court in Gadchiroli, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

"Despite no criminal evidence against them, they have been incarcerated. This is the first time that a sessions court has given intent as the reason for imprisonment," N Devika, a member of Democratic Students' Union (DSU), said. "To punish a man who is in such a state is unprecedented," she added.

Calling it a draconian Act, protesters said, "This law will allow any government in power to arrest and punish those who oppose them. The Saibaba verdict cannot be a precedent. His only mistake was that he spoke for adivasis' rights."

"We will approach the High Court. My husband has been falsely implicated as not even a single piece of evidence has been proved by the prosecution against him. It seems the state and Central governments have put a lot of pressure on the judiciary for this 'inhuman'and 'undemocratic' judgment," Saibaba's wife G Vasantha said.

Arrested in 2014

Saibaba was picked up by Maharashtra Police in May 2014, for his alleged links with the top leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation. He was lodged in the Nagpur Central prison for over two years. He was later granted bail by SC