Earlier this year, in March, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted Saibaba and five others involved in the same case, stating that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations. The court not only overturned Saibaba’s life sentence but also deemed the sanction for prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as “null and void.”
The High Court found that the approval for the UAPA sanction from state authorities lacked proper consideration and criticized the accompanying report from the independent authority as insufficiently detailed, describing it as a “cryptic and concise half-page communication.”
Saibaba had been in jail since 2017 after his conviction by a trial court in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. This followed a previous period of incarceration from 2014 to 2016, during which he was eventually granted bail. His acquittal marked a significant turn in a long and contentious legal battle that raised questions about the application of anti-terror laws and the rights of those accused under such statutes.
Saibaba’s case garnered considerable attention, highlighting issues related to civil liberties and the judicial process in India. His passing brings to a close a tumultuous chapter not just in his life but also in the ongoing discourse surrounding political dissent and academic freedom in the country.
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