Former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba has demanded reinstatement and compensation following his acquittal in a Maoist links case by the Bombay High Court. Saibaba, who was terminated from his service in 2021, addressed a press conference where he spoke about his experiences in prison and his desire to resume teaching. He stated that he cannot live without teaching and wants to resume his job as a professor. Saibaba also expressed regret for not being able to meet his mother before her death.

The Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr GN Saibaba, which includes academicians, lawyers, and Left politicians, supported Saibaba’s demand for reinstatement and compensation. They demanded that all the six people who were released from Nagpur Central Jail, following the court’s declaration that the prosecution failed to establish charges against them, should be reinstated and compensated.

Saibaba, who spent seven years in prison, said he still feels as if he is in a jail cell. He described the cramped conditions and the denial of proper medical treatment during his time in jail. Saibaba also spoke about the stigma and being called a terrorist, which affected his family. He thanked his lawyers, friends, and activists for their support during the trial.

Saibaba was lodged in Nagpur Central Jail since 2017 after his conviction by a trial court in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. He had previously been in prison from 2014 to 2016 and was later granted bail. Saibaba’s demand for reinstatement and compensation highlights the challenges faced by individuals who have been acquitted after years of imprisonment.