India frees disabled academic jailed for Maoist links

India has released disabled academic G.N. Saibaba on bail from prison after being jailed for alleged links to Maoist rebels. Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound due to post-polio paralysis, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on medical grounds.

Human rights groups and activists have long criticized Saibaba’s imprisonment, claiming it was a politically motivated move to silence dissent. Saibaba had been arrested in 2014 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for his alleged involvement with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Shortly after his release, Saibaba thanked his supporters and vowed to continue fighting for the rights of marginalized communities. He also called for the release of other political prisoners still held in Indian jails.