Wife and brother seek help for Prof GN Saibaba ailing in prison, write to the Maharastra home minister for parole

GN Saibaba, former professor at the University of Delhi, had tested positive for COVID-19 in February. AS Vasanthakumari, Saibaba’s wife, and his brother Gokarakonda Ramadevudu have written to the Maharashtra home minister demanding that he instruct jail authorities to provide at least two attendants to Saibaba, who is physically disabled and suffers from serious medical conditions, and allow him parole. Saibaba is lodged in solitary confinement in the Nagpur Central Jail.

The letter is reproduced below in full.

To

The Honourable Home Minister

State of Maharashtra

Mumbai 

Sub: Request to instruct the Nagpur Central Jail authorities through Additional Director General of Police (prisons) to provide parole and allot caretakers to assist Prof. G.N. Saibaba, 90% physically disabled person and convicted for life imprisonment.

Respected Sir,

We, A S Vasantha Kumari (Wife) and Gokarakonda Ramadevudu (brother) would like to bring to your attention that Prof. G. N. Saibaba is 90% physically disabled, wheelchair bound and paralysed person with Post-polio-residual paralysis since childhood. He cannot perform his own day-to-day activities without the help of one or two caretakers. We, as family members, used to support him in all aspects for his day today work at home. He was falsely implicated and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gadchiroli Session court. 

Since then, Prof. G. N. Saibaba is languishing in Nagpur Central Jail. The Sessions Court judgement is challenged before the Bombay High court, Nagpur Bench and is pending. His medical conditions include cardiac problems i.e. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Acute Pancreatitis, Cholelithiasis, Left Brachial Plexopathy etc. He acquired some more health complications and existing health problems became more severe during tenure as a prisoner in the Nagpur Central Jail. His left hand is not functioning due to traumatic brachial plexopathy and his right hand is also slowly becoming non-functional. It is very difficult for Prof. Saibaba to shift himself from the wheelchair to the bed and back without assistance of caretakers. He also frequently falling unconscious during the daytime as well as night-time.

He requires at least two caretakers for his movements on the wheelchair for daily chores such as using toilet, brushing. taking bath, eating food etc. Two of the fellow co-accused used to help him previously, but now reluctant to help him as they were also affected by COVID-19. In the absence of any assistance, Prof. G.N Saibaba is only able to perform daily tasks with great pain and discomfort. The jail authorities have informed the honourable Mumbai High Court Bench at Nagpur, during hearings on bail application that required caretakers are being provided to Prof. G. N. Saibaba for help and support. However, no caretakers have been spared by the local jail authorities to help Prof. Saibaba. 

Prof. G. N. Saibaba recently contracted COVID-19 in Nagpur Central Jail, Nagpur and continues to be very weak as he undergoes after effects of COVID-19. The second wave of Corona Virus is spreading throughout India and paralyzing the normal life. Many jail inmates both undertrials, convicted and the jail personnel are affected in large numbers by COVID-19 across India. Tens and hundreds of prisoners are suffering with COVID-19 in the Jails of Maharashtra also. In the last year, Maharashtra Government released prisoners on parole from the Jails. 

We request your highness to release Prof. G.N. Saibaba who is wheelchair bound and cannot walk with his 90% physical disability at least on Parole. Under this critical situation, We request your highness to look into the matter sympathetically on humanitarian grounds and instruct the authorities concerned to provide at least two caretakers to him in the jail for executing his daily routine works. We will be grateful for your kind intervention to grant Parole to Prof. G.N. Saibaba. Thank you very much. Awaiting your positive reply.

A S Vasantha Kumari

(Wife) 

AND

Dr. Gokarakonda Ramadevudu

(Brother)