Was the trial judge who convicted G.N. Saibaba biased? We will never know, and that is part of the injustice
The injustice of a trial judge filling the gaps in the prosecution’s case (which relied on ‘evidence’ in the form of bananas, umbrellas and newspaper cuttings) with judicial overreach to chop ten years off Professor G.N. Saibaba’s life.
Published on: 24 March 2024, 10:09 am
The injustice of a trial judge filling the gaps in the prosecution's case (which relied on 'evidence' in the form of bananas, umbrellas and newspaper cuttings) with judicial overreach to chop ten years off Professor G.N. Saibaba's life.
—
THE Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court heard the appeal against the conviction of Professor G.N. Saibaba and five others twice. In both the judgments, it set aside the conviction.
The hearing was held in a fully packed courtroom with, at times, hot-tempered exchanges of strong arguments. Needless to say the atmosphere was terribly tense.
However, one proposition of Pradip Mandhyan turned out to be so hilarious— although hard-hitting— that the entire courtroom would burst into laughter every time it was mentioned. He pointed out that one of the most incriminating items was missing.
And the missing article was a banana. Yes, a banana.
The ten-year-long ordeal of the six 'Urban Naxals' ended on March 5, 2024. Pronouncing the judgment in the court full of lawyers and journalists, the otherwise calm and soft-spoken Justice Joshi seemed to be in a totally different mood.
His voice firm, resolute, determined and unusually loud, conveyed that they were delivering well-deserved justice by overturning the conviction.
“The ten-year-long ordeal of the six 'Urban Naxals' ended on March 5, 2024.
Simply put, the judgment said what we lawyers often say: "There was nothing in the matter".
Nothing worth a conviction.; in fact, nothing worthy even of a trial.