NPRD alleges that inadequate medical care during captivity led to Saibaba’s untimely death

New Delhi: NGO National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled has alleged that lengthy prison sentences and inadequate medical care have aggravated the pre-existing health problems of former DU professor and disability rights activist GN Saibaba and contributed to his untimely death.

Saibaba died at a government hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday due to post-operative complications, seven months after he was acquitted in a Maoist links case. He was 54.

In a statement, the non-governmental organization underlined the challenges Saibaba faced during his captivity and the toll it took on his health.

The former professor, who had polio and suffered from multiple serious health problems, was released just months ago after serving 10 years in prison on charges that the NPRD called “false.”

Although his release was hailed as a victory for justice, his freedom was tragically short-lived, the report said.

According to the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), Saibaba’s prolonged captivity and inadequate medical care exacerbated his pre-existing health problems, contributing to his untimely death.

During his incarceration, Saibaba suffered from worsening spinal cord and nervous system disorders, and one of his arms stopped functioning due to injuries sustained during his arrest, it added.

The NGO claimed that he was also suffering from acute pancreatitis and gall bladder stones, for which he was denied necessary surgery despite repeated requests for medical attention.

The NPRD highlighted this denial as a “sad commentary on our criminal justice system,” recalling the similar case of Father Stan Swamy, who also died in custody.

The NPRD had consistently protested Saibaba’s treatment in prison, calling the conditions in which he was held “contrary to his right to life, dignity and health”.

The organization criticized the failure to provide reasonable accommodations and medical treatment, which it said violated both international treaties and national laws protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

NPRD General Secretary Muralidharan paid tribute to Saibaba as a fighter for the marginalized and oppressed, stating that his death is a significant loss to the movement for justice and human rights.