The Human Rights Forum severely criticised the recent judgment by Gadchiroli Sessions Court in Maharashtra sentencing five persons, including professor G.N. Saibaba to life imprisonment, and another person to 10 years in prison. Terming it “disquieting and bizarre”, a statement issued by the forum ’s president S.Jeevan Kumar and general secretary V.S.Krishna on Tuesday condemned the harsh punishment for act construed as offences under the “highly debatable” sections of the UAPA, 1967 read with other “equally dubious” statute, Section 120-B of the IPC, 1860.
“Human rights organisations have been consistently demanding repeal of the UAPA and Section 120-B, IPC on the grounds that they disrespect fundamental political freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution....these statutes outlaw ideologies and criminalise political belief and thought,” the statement read.
The six persons were not charged and convicted for acts of violence, but for purportedly being associated with the CPI(Maoist).
HRF hoped that the appellate court would reverse the judgement, and called upon people to seek repeal of the two controversial laws.
