Delhi University's suspended professor GN Saibaba, 5 others get life imprisonment for links with Maoists

A sessions court on Tuesday sentenced GN Saibaba, the suspended Professor of Delhi University, and five others to life imprisonment for their links with the Maoists. The other five convicted were Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tirkey, Pandu Narote and Vijay Tirkey.

Saibaba and others were sentenced under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act dealing with conspiracy, being a member of terrorist gang or organisation and offences relating to support given to a terrorist organisation.

The wheelchair-bound professor was arrested in May 2014. The Supreme Court had given him bail in June last year after he pleaded that his health was deteriorating fast in jail.

Hem Mishra was arrested along with Mahesh Tirkey and Pandu Narote at Aheri in Gadchiroli district in August 2013. Based on the leads provided by them, Prashant Rahi and Vijay Tirkey were then arrested from Deori in Gondia district.

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Saibaba was arrested in May 2014 by Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli police on charges of being a member of the banned CPI (Maoist), providing logistics and helping in recruitment for the group.

(With inputs from PTI)