Two UN special rapporteurs have made public their letter to the Centre with queries on G.N. Saibaba, a paraplegic former Delhi University professor serving a life sentence in Nagpur for links to the banned CPI (Maoist).
The special rapporteurs — Mary Lawlor and Gerard Quinn — made their letter public after not receiving a response.
The letter sent on August 3 says: “His health has continued to deteriorate in detention, with the human rights defender currently suffering from a brain cyst, a lump in his abdomen, breathing difficulties and a heart condition, cumulatively requiring specialised care only available in New Delhi.”
It asks four questions: “1. Please provide any additional information... you may have...
“2. Please provide information as to Dr Saibaba’s conditions of detention in Nagpur Central Prison, including concerning measures adopted to assess the alleged inappropriate nature of the facilities to address the needs resulting from the human rights defender’s disability.
“3. Please provide information as to the justification for the enhanced security measures in place regarding the detention of Dr Saibaba, and the necessity of such measures in light of his significantly limited mobility due to his disability.
“4. Please provide information as to Dr Saibaba’s current state of health, including measures taken to evaluate and monitor whether appropriate medical care and treatment can be provided under his current conditions of detention...”
