SC to hear Saibaba's bail plea

New Delhi, Feb 22: The Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear a plea by DU professor G.N. Saibaba seeking bail following his arrest for his alleged links with the Revolutiory Democrats Front — an alleged front organisation of the banned CPI-Maoist. A bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C. gappan asked the counsel for Maharashtra government to take instructions that in case, Saibaba is taken to gpur to face the trial, then there are sufficient medical facilities for his treatment and lodging. “If they (the Maharashtra government) take you there, they will be responsible,” it said. Asking the counsel appearing for Maharashtra to take instructions on professor Saibaba’s plea for bail, the court said that he is seeking exemption from persol appearance as he will not be there to influence the course of the trial. “If you somehow persuade us that he should not be granted bail, you must have medical facilities not in jail but in some guest house,” Justice Khehar told the counsel for the state. The court said this as senior counsel R.S.Cheema appearing for Saibaba told it that Saibaba was confined to wheelchair and he “can’t go” and “can’t participate” in the trial court proceedings. He also noted that the other co-accused in the matter have already been granted bail. As Cheema urged the court to grant the Delhi University professor exemption from persol appearance before the trial court, the bench said: “You have not made an application seeking exemption.” Thereafter it also allowed Saibaba to move an application seeking persol exemption from appearing before the trial court by Wednesday and the same will be considered on Friday.  (IANS)