HC denies parole to former professor Saibaba to visit mother

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Friday refused to release on parole former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba serving a life sentence for having Maoist links. A division bench of Justices Ravi Deshpande and Amit Borkar, while dismissing Saibaba's petition seeking parole, took note of the report submitted by the concerned authorities which said the area in which he shall be residing after his release on parole has been declared a containment zone in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saibaba had approached HC seeking parole after the appellate authority rejected his plea on February 24. He sought to be released to visit his mother who is suffering from cancer in Hyderabad.

"The report shows that the mother of the petitioner is normally a patient of the OPD (out patient department) and the brother of the petitioner is taking care of their mother. We have also been informed the area where the petitioner shall be staying if released on parole is in a containment zone," the court said. "Hence, we do not find the petitioner is entitled to release on parole," it added.

In March 2017, a Gadchiroli sessions court sentenced Saibaba and four others, including a journalist and a JNU student, for Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Following the conviction, Saibabawas lodged in the Nagpur prison.

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