HC cancels Saibaba's bail, issues contempt notice to Arundhati

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court today rejected the regular bail application filed by the Delhi University professor G N Saibaba, arrested for alleged links with the Naxals, and directed him to surrender within 48 hours.
Taking a serious view of criticism of the judiciary by Booker prize-winner writer Arundhati Roy in her article about the professor, Justice Arun Choudhary also issued a criminal contempt notice to her which is returnable by January 25.
Justice Chaudhary, while dismissing the bail application, declined the request to grant more time to Saibaba to surrender and directed the police to arrest him if he failed to turn up within two days.

The High Court cited a medical report which clearly stated that proper medical aid was extended to Saibaba by the doctors when he was lodged in the Nagpur prison.
The lawyers of wheelchair-bound Saibaba had pleaded for extension of bail on the ground of his health.
The judge also rejected the argument that the evidence against him was very weak, and stated noted that earlier a single bench had rejected the bail application on merit, and that he will not take a divergent view.
Saibaba was arrested in May 2014 by Gadchiroli police of Maharashtra for alleged active links with Maoists.

Pournima Upadhyay, an activist, had written a letter to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court which was treated as PIL and thereafter temporary bail was granted to Saibaba for three months on health grounds by the Principal Bench of High Court in Mumbai.