Prof. G.N. Saibaba, who is currently serving life sentence at Nagpur Jail, was removed as assistant professor from Ram Lal Anand College. The wheelchair-bound professor has been, in jail since 2017 after he was convicted for links with Maoists.
Manjeera – 22 year old daughter of professor G.N. Saibaba confirmed the termination news of his service. She informed that the family received the termination letter on 1st April 2021, Thursday . Saibaba had taught English at the college till his arrest in 2014. Following that, the college had formed a one-member committee to look into his suspension.
“They initiated disciplinary proceedings [at the time of his arrest] against him saying that he was not present in college to teach so he has violated terms of services”
-Manjeera, reported by the Scroll
She said that no supporting documents were attached with the letter to provide reasons for his termination. She added that their lawyer was in touch with the committee and they sent them a letter demanding some documents they did not give them. Manjeera remarked that they said they could not use that reasoning because he was in a situation where he was not voluntarily not going.
In a memorandum on 31st March 2021, the principal Rajesh Gupta Kumar wrote:
“The services of Dr. G.N. Saibaba, Assistant Professor, Ram Lal Anand College, are terminated with immediate effect from the afternoon of March 31, 2021. Three months’ salary has been paid in his Savings Bank account.”
The termination letter has cast a shadow on the income of the family, as the salary of Saibaba would end. Ever since his suspension in 2014, the family had received half of his salary. The family had been using Saibaba’s salary to pay off their loans. Manjeera said that the family would challenge the letter in court.
“We will definitely challenge his termination in court. Our appeal is pending in the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction and sentence. The matter is sub-judice. Yet, they have taken this decision.” We had received a show-cause notice in 2019, but we had asked them for time since we needed to consult Saibaba. We have not even had a chance to meet him for the last year.”
Vasantha, wife of Mr.Saibaba, reported by Scroll
An official of the college said that if the ruling against Saibaba was overturned, the college would abide by it. A teacher of University of Delhi (DU) from the Committee for the Defence and Release for Saibaba, Nandita Narain said :
“In case of SAR Geelani (who was convicted in connection with the Parliament attack case), his services were suspended, not terminated. When he got exonerated, he was able to join work again.”
In March 2021, several human rights and academic organizations demanded his release by a medical parole. Saibaba was found to be infected by COVID-19 on 13th February 2021.
Read about the medical parole here
A statement said that over the last five years, the government had rejected petitions to provide adequate medical facilities to Saibaba.
Read Also:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/dubeat.com/2020/07/a-clear-case-of-injustice-prof-g-n-saibaba/%3famp
Featured Image Credits: scroll
Harish Neela Lingam
