Delhi University professor Saibaba gets life imprisonment for Maoist links

Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound, was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Maharashtra court for his links with Maoists.

The Gadchiroli Sessions Court handed out life imprisonment to four others while their sixth accomplice was jailed for 10 years.

The suspended English professor of Ram Lal Anand College, Delhi University, was arrested in May 2014 from Delhi.

The prosecution claimed that incriminating documents, compact discs and pen drives containing literature about the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist were recovered from his possession.

The court noted that the accused had conspired "to create violence, cause public disorder and spread disaffection towards the central government and the state government".

"In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, the accused were found in possession of printed Naxal literature" that was to be circulated "amongst the members of banned CPI-Maoist and its frontal organisation (Revolutionary Democratic Front) RDF and other persons for creating violence and causing public disorder."

Judge SS Shinde convicted Saibaba, 47, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and found him and his associates guilty of conspiring and being a member of the terrorist outfit and offences relating to support given to the Leftist rebels.

Saibaba was in April last year granted bail by the Supreme Court and exempted from personal appearance on the grounds of his deteriorating health.

Besides the DU teacher, the court also convicted Jawaharlal Nehru University student Hem Mishra and former journalist Prashant Rahi - both arrested in 2013 for their nexus with the Left wing extremists.

Saibaba came under police scanner after the JNU student confessed to police that he was acting as a courier between the English professor and Maoist leaders, including Puppalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapathy.