Hyderabad: The body of former Delhi University professor and human rights activist, G.N. Saibaba, who died at a hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday, was handed over to his family on Sunday, who in turn donated the body to Gandhi Hospital. Saibaba, who had been receiving treatment for gall bladder infection at the NIMS Hospital here for the past week, died of a heart attack.
Following the release of his body, family members transported it to Gunpark, where close friends, admirers, and activists gathered to pay their last respects. His body will remain there until 10 a.m. before being taken to his residence in Maulali.
The family had earlier announced that Saibaba's body will be donated to Gandhi Hospital at 4 p.m. As per this, they handed over the body to the hospital. Saibaba, who hailed from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district, was a prominent writer, educationist, and human rights activist. He contracted polio at the age of five, which left him wheelchair-bound for life.
Saibaba spent ten years in prison due to allegations of his links with Maoists, a case that drew widespread attention and debate. Despite his disability, he continued his activism, writing and raising his voice for the oppressed and marginalized until the end.
The former Delhi University professor was admitted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) for the last 20 days. Saibaba along with five others was acquitted by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in March this year in the alleged Maoist links case. The court noted that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against him.
The court also set aside his life sentence and held as "null and void" the sanction procured by the prosecution to charge the accused under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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