‘Disappointed’ over SC order, but will continue fight: Saibaba’s wife

NAGPUR: The Supreme Court’s stay on the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court’s verdict of acquitting Naxal sympathizer GN Saibaba and his accomplices came as disappointment to his wife Vasantha Kumari and his supporters.
She told TOI that their family would put up a stronger fight in the next hearings at the Supreme Court. “We were elated yesterday after the high court ordered acquittal of my husband and other accused after over eight years. However, our joy was short-lived after today’s development. Not only our family, but many were disappointed at the national and international levels,” she told TOI, refusing to comment further.
Kumari said she had not spoken with her lawyers and would be able to comment in detail on Saturday’s development only after that.
In a special hearing convened on Saturday at the request by the Maharashtra government, the apex court’s division bench comprising justices MR Shah and Bela M Trivedi rejected Saibaba’s request for putting him under house arrest. The bench has sought the accused’s responses by December 8.
The top court’s stay was hailed by lawyers who represented the Gadchiroli police now and earlier. On the other hand, those representing the accused expressed disappointment, but were confident of getting justice from the highest judiciary.
Senior counsel Subodh Dharmadhikari, who had represented Saibaba in HC, told TOI that he was not associated with the case in SC, but stated that the defence would obviously wait for the final hearing.
Welcoming the apex court’s orders, former special public prosecutor (SPP) Prashant Sathianathan said he was confident that the prosecution would also get a favourable judgment in the final hearing. “In Gadchiroli court, we had submitted more than sufficient evidence about the accused’s involvement in the crimes and their links with Maoists. Based on the concrete evidence, then principal and sessions judge Suryakant Shinde had convicted all the accused and awarded them life terms. They should not be acquitted just on the basis of a technical flaw.”
The former SPP, who was associated with the case right from the first day, pointed out that sessions judge had explained in its March 7, 2017 judgement on how several innocent lives were lost and huge losses were caused to the public property due to subversive activities of Saibaba and other co-accused. “The judge had made a remark that the imprisonment for life is not a sufficient punishment to the accused, but the hands of court are tied with the mandate of Section 18 and 20 of UAPA.”