Specious case against Saibaba, intervene: DU teachers’ body to Shinde – Indian Express

Three days after teachers and activists condemned the police raid at the residence of Delhi University professor G N Saibaba, president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Tuesday wrote to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, seeking his intervention.

Condemning the police attempt to “fabricate a specious case against Dr Saibaba”, DUTA president Nandita Narain wrote, “We request you to use your good offices to ensure that no attempt should be made to arrest him and to uphold and safeguard his fundamental rights.”

On September 12, a police team had raided Ram Lal Anand College teacher Saibaba’s residence in North Campus, detaining him and his family for nearly four hours. His laptop, hard disks, pen drives, mobile phones, some books and booklets were confiscated. The search warrant stated that the house was used as “a place for the deposit of stolen property”.

Stating that the investigation was “baseless” and the charges “outrageous” and “despicable”, Narain’s letter said, “It is a matter of grave concern that an employee of the university and a wheelchair-bound person with 90 per cent disability has been subjected to this manner of intimidation, invasion of privacy, and violation of civil and human rights.”

The Home Ministry affirmed that they had received the letter and the matter was being examined by them.

The letter also slammed the claim made by Gadchiroli police that “incriminating evidence” had been found against Saibaba.

According to police, a micro-chip recovered from Hem Mishra — the JNU student who was arrested for alleged Maoist links — was given to him by Saibaba. Saibaba has denied any knowledge of the micro-chip.

The letter also attacked Delhi University’s administration for “complicity in this outrage”.