Bilkis Bano gang rape case: remission to 11 convicts by Gujrat government is overruled by Supreme Court.
Remembering the Bilkis Bano case:
In March 2002, amidst the aftermath of the Godhra riots, a woman named Bano was reportedly subjected to a brutal gang rape and abandoned along with 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter. The attack occurred in Vadodara, and Bano, who was five months pregnant at the time, faced the horrific assault during the communal violence. The case was itself raises the question on humanity,
Remission of the convicts and PIL filed against the remission:
On Thursday, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on petitions challenging the premature release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. The court instructed the Centre and the Gujarat government to submit original records related to the sentence remission of the convicts by October 16. The bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, reserved its order after hearing arguments from Bilkis Bano’s counsel and representatives for the Centre, Gujarat government, and other PIL petitioners.
Apart from Bilkis Bano’s petition contesting the remission granted by the Gujarat government, several other Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed, including ones by CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, independent journalist Revati Laul, and former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma. TMC MP Mahua Moitra has also filed a PIL challenging the remission and premature release of the convicts.
In August 2022, the Gujarat government released 11 convicts, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, in accordance with the remission policy applicable at the time of their conviction in 2008. It is really disheartening to say that in a country where women are place at the position of ‘’Devi‘’ (lords) , where women are worshipped within that same country a women have to struggle for the justice especially after being subjected as the victim of the gruesome and cruel act like gang rape.
Bilkis Bano and other challenged the premature release against the accused.
Take of Gujrat government:
Earlier, the Gujarat government had defended remission granted and saying they completed 14 years of sentence in prison and their “behaviour was found to be good”.
The State government had said it has considered the cases of all 11 convicts as per the policy of 1992 and remission was granted on August 10, 2022, and the Central government also approved the release of convicts.
Response of Bilkis Bano:
Bilkis Bano challenge the remission and this grant of remission to the convicts have shaken the country Bilkis Bano said she have been the victim of most gruesome crime this country have ever seen and said ‘’she was well shocked and completely numb…’’ after convicts were released.
