Intellectuals condemn Saibaba's arrest

 Intellectuals and teachers, including Arundhati Roy, on Friday, condemned the arrest of English professor G N Saibaba on charges of alleged involvement in Maoist activities, saying it was “arbitrary and illegal” and an attempt to stifle voice of dissent.

In a statement, the intellectuals said Saibaba was “abducted” by the Maharashtra Police around 1.00 pm on Friday.

“The incident came to light when Vasantha, Saibaba’s wife, got a mysterious call around 3.00 pm, informing her that her husband was being taken to Gadhchiroli by Maharashtra Police. There is otherwise no official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against him so far. His driver and the car were missing for several hours after that,” they said.

Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing person complaint at Maurice Nagar police station. “Later, Saibaba managed to get hold of a mobile phone from someone at the airport and speak briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to Nagpur by the police,” the statement said.
The teachers alleged that Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation for the couple of years.

Besides Roy, the signatories included Delhi University Teachers Association president Nandita Narain, professors Tripta Wahi, Vijay Singh and Amit Bhaduri and activists like Harish Dhawan.