SC refuses to stay Bombay HC's judgment acquitting ex-DU professor G N Saibaba in Maoist links case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Bombay High Court's order acquitting former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in a Maoists link case, saying there can't be any urgency to reverse an acquittal order.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said, "Prima facie, the judgment (of the HC) is very well reasoned".

The bench noted that though Additional Solicitor General S V Raju did not press for a stay of the High Court order, since the plea mentioned it, the court is rejecting such a prayer.

Raju said he would seek to put some documents on record.

The bench said it would grant leave in the matter and the state government may file an application for an early hearing.

On March 5, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted wheelchair-bound former Delhi University professor Saibaba, who was arrested over a decade ago for purported links with Maoists.

The HC had set aside the life sentence awarded to Saibaba, and held the sanction for prosecution under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) “null and void”.

Five others, including Mahesh Kariman Tirki and Pandu Pora Narote, both farmers, Hem Keshavdatta Mishra, a student, and Prashant Rahi Sanglikar, a journalist, were accused in the case and handed life imprisonment, while Vijay Tirki, a labourer, received a 10-year jail term. The division bench also acquitted these five individuals in the case.

On March 5, the Maharashtra government lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court's verdict in the case, where Saibaba was accused of having links with the banned CPI (Maoist).