New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to the Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba who was arrested in May 2014 on charges of alleged links with Maoists.
A bench of justices J.S. Khehar and C. Nagappan pulled up the Maharashtra government when it opposed bail to Prof. Saibaba saying that he will tamper with witnesses. During the hearing in February the Bench had directed the State to keep him in a guest house and to provide medical treatment to him. The court had granted time for examination of crucial witnesses and posted the matter for further hearing on Monday.
On Monday when the resumed hearing, counsel for Maharashtra submitted that eight more witnesses were to be examined and that Prof. Saibaba should not be released on bail in the meanwhile
Justice Khehar told the State counsel, “You have been extremely unfair to the accused, specially given his medical conditions. Why do you want him in jail if key witnesses have been examined? You are unnecessarily harassing the petitioner.” The bench then ordered his release on bail.
The Bench asked Dr. Saibaba to seek regular bail in the sessions court. Even as the matter was pending, a single judge on December 23, 2015 acting on a PIL cancelled the bail and directed him to surrender. While seeking to quash the single judge’s order.
