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Bilkis Bano Case: Supreme Court to Hear Petitions of Convicts Seeking More Time to Surrender

January 18, 2024, 1:13 pm

The Supreme Court has agreed to list the petitions filed by three convicts in the Bilkis Bano case who are seeking more time to surrender. This move comes in response to the earlier cancellation of the order that granted them early release, and they were directed to surrender by January 22.

In their petitions, the convicts cited various reasons such as family weddings, dependent parents, and the ongoing harvest season for requesting an extension of the surrender deadline. The three men, namely Govindbhai Nai, Ramesh Chandana, and Mitesh Bhatt, are seeking additional weeks to comply with the surrender order.

Senior lawyer V Chitambaresh sought an early hearing for the petitions, stating that the three men had only three days left before the scheduled surrender date on January 21. Justice BV Nagarathna directed the registry to seek orders from Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to constitute a bench with Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan to hear the petitions on Friday.

In a landmark verdict on January 8, the Supreme Court canceled the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission to the 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano case. The case involves the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The court directed the convicts, released on Independence Day in 2022, to surrender by January 22.

Govindbhai Nai has requested an additional four weeks, citing his responsibilities as the sole caregiver for his 88-year-old bedridden father and 75-year-old mother, who are dependent on him. He also highlighted his responsibilities towards his two children and his recent surgery. Ramesh Chandana seeks time for his son’s wedding, while Mitesh Bhatt has cited the ongoing harvest season.

The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the petitions signifies a crucial legal development in the aftermath of the cancellation of the early release order for the Bilkis Bano case convicts.

India News Manch 2023: Imran Pratapgarhi alleges BJP government misleading public

December 13, 2023, 3:08 pm

Congress Rajya Sabha Member Mohammad Imran Pratapgarhi launched an attack against the central government, stated that when the BJP wins, it showcases Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face, and when it loses, it brings forward party president JP Nadda’s face. Imran further mentioned that the BJP is afraid of the opposition INDIA alliance. “They are so scared of our unity that they call the INDIA alliance the INDIE alliance,” he said.

The subject of Bilkis Bano:

Alongwith this, Imran, while being critical of the central government, said that on one hand, the BJP chants the slogan of women’s empowerment, while in Gujarat, those criminals who committed heinous crimes with Bilkis Bano were garlanded.

Modi Factor: What Imran Said

Imran stated that we acknowledge that there have been mistakes made by the party. If that’s the case, then why didn’t the Modi factor work in Karnataka as well.

By what mechanism did BJP win?

Continuing, Imran said, “We also want to understand on what issues the government secured victory because issues like inflation are at an extreme level.”

Unequals cannot be treated equally, says SC while questioning Bilkis Bano rapists’ release

April 18, 2023, 6:43 pm

The Centre and the Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that they may file a petition seeking a review of its 27March order requiring them to provide original files on the grant of remission to the Bilkis Bano convicts.

The paroles granted to 11 convicts during their incarceration period were questioned by a bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna, who said the gravity of the offence could have been considered by the state.

The bench of Justices said, “A pregnant woman was gang-raped and several people were killed. You cannot compare victim’s case with standard section 302 (murder) cases. Like you cannot compare apples with oranges, similarly massacre cannot be compared with single murder. Crimes are generally committed against society and the community. Unequals cannot be treated equally.”

“The question is whether government applied its mind and what material formed the basis of its decision to grant remission,” the bench said, adding, “Today it is Bilkis but tomorrow it can be anyone. It may be you or me. If you do not show your reasons for grant of remission, then we will draw our own conclusions.”

The bench scheduled the final disposition of the batch of pleas challenging the remission of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case for 2 May and asked all convicts who had not been served notices to file their replies.

It asked the Centre and the state to state their position on filing a review petition.

Bilkis Bano case: SC issues notice on plea against pre-mature release of 11 convicts

March 27, 2023, 7:33 pm

On a petition filed by Bilkis Bano challenging the premature release of 11 convicts who gang-raped her and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre, the Gujarat government, and all the convicts on Monday.

The matter was scheduled for hearing on April 18 by a bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna. It requested that the Union and Gujarat governments have the relevant files granting remission to the convicts ready for the next date of hearing. The Supreme Court also ordered that the pleadings in the case be completed by the next hearing date.

The court decision, issued last week, was related to Rahul Gandhi’s Modi surname remarks made during an election rally in Karnataka in April 2019.

During the hearing, Justice Joseph asked, “We have before us many murder cases where convicts are languishing in jails for remission without years. Is this a case where standards have been applied uniformly as in other cases too?”

Previously, a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi ordered that the matter be heard by a bench that does not include Justice Trivedi because she recused herself from hearing the case.

Bano had filed a review petition seeking a review of its earlier order in which it had asked the Gujarat government to consider the plea for the remission of one of the convicts, in addition to a petition against the pre-mature release of convicts.

Bilkis Bano Case : Supreme Court to hear plea against release of 11 convicts today

March 27, 2023, 11:38 am

The Supreme Court will hear a batch of pleas on Monday challenging the release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
The Gujarat government had granted remission to 11 convicts on August 10 last year following which they walked free on August 15, 2022. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna will hear the case on March 27.
On March 22, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that he will constitute a bench to hear pleas. “I will have a bench constituted. Need to break two benches for it. Will look at it this evening,” he said after advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bano, mentioned the plea for an early listing of the case.
A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi earlier had ordered that matter be listed before the bench, in which Justice Trivedi is not a part of as she had recused herself from hearing the case.
Besides filing a petition against the pre-mature release of convicts, Bano had also filed a review petition seeking a review of its earlier order by which it had asked the Gujarat government to consider the plea for the remission of one of the convicts.
The review petition was dismissed.
Some PILs were filed seeking directions to revoke the remission granted to 11 convicts.
The pleas were filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, whose General Secretary is Annie Raja, Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma and TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
Gujarat government in its affidavit had defended remission granted to convicts saying they completed 14 years of sentence in prison and their “behaviour was found to be good”..
It is pertinent to note that the remission was not granted under the circular governing grant of remission to prisoners as part of the celebration of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, it had said.
The affidavit stated, “State government considered all the opinions and decided to release 11 prisoners since they have completed 14 years and above in prisons and their behaviour was found to be good.”
The government had also questioned the locus standi of petitioners who filed the PIL challenging the decision saying they are outsiders to the case.
The pleas said they have challenged the order of competent authority of the government of Gujarat by way of which 11 persons who were accused in a set of heinous offences committed in Gujarat were allowed to walk free on August 15, 2022, pursuant to remission being extended to them.
The remission in this heinous case would be entirely against public interest and would shock the collective public conscience, as also be entirely against the interests of the victim (whose family has publicly made statements worrying for her safety), pleas stated.
In March 2002 during the post-Godhra riots, Bano was gang-raped and left to die with 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter. She was five months pregnant when rioters attacked her family in Vadodara.

SC Denies Bilkis Bano’s Review Plea Against The Release Of 11 Convicts

December 17, 2022, 1:54 pm

The Supreme Court denied the review petition filed by Bilkis Bano who was gang-raped in 2002. Bilkis Bano filed the case last month challenging the release of the sentence of 11 convicts, saying the premature release has “shaken the conscience of society.”

The gang rape survivor also filed a separate petition contesting the ruling of the Supreme Court in May that had ruled the convict’s remission should be determined by the law in effect at the time of conviction. An email from the Supreme Court assistant registrar to Bano’s attorney Shobha Gupta stated, “I am ordered to notify you that the review petition above mentioned filed in Supreme Court was dismissed by the court on December 13, 2022.”

On May 13, an apex court panel composed of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath instructed the Gujarat government to examine the remission of sentence by the July 1992 policy, opening the door for the early release of 11 defendants in the 2002 gang rape case.

According to the bench, all subsequent proceedings, in this case, must be evaluated “in terms of the policy which is applicable in the State of Gujarat where the crime was committed and not the State (Maharashtra) where the trial is standing and concluded for exceptional reasons under the orders of this court,” after the trial is over and a judgment has been rendered.

Bilkis was gang-raped in 2002 in the Godra train burning incident when she was 5 months pregnant. The rapists also murdered her 7 family members including her three-year-old daughter.

SC to consider listing of review plea of Bilkis Bano case relating to remission of 11 convicts

December 12, 2022, 6:43 pm

The Supreme Court announced that it would take into account an early listing of a petition from the victim (Bilkis Bano) seeking review of its earlier verdict asking the Gujarat government to take into account the petition for the release of 11 defendants in the gang rape case involving Bilkis Bano.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and Justices PS Narasimha and Dipankar Datta Sai said, “It will come up by circulation. I will have it posted early. There is a date, I will check.”

The review plea has not yet been listed, and a tentative date of December 5 has been indicated, according to counsel Shobha Gupta, who informed the bench of this.

According to protocol, review petitions against rulings by the highest courts are decided in chambers by the judges who participated in the ruling under review.

She filed a review petition in opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision from May allowing the Gujarat government to implement the 1992 remission Rules.

In addition to submitting a review petition, Bano also pleaded against the early release of 11 criminal defendants who had gang-raped and killed Bano’s family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.

On December 13, the matter is scheduled to be heard by a bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela Trivedi.

Bano claimed that despite being the victim of the crime, she was unaware of any early release or remission process that had been started.

According to the argument, Gujarat’s remission order utterly disregards the requirements of the law as they have been constantly stated.

Prior to this, some PILs had been submitted asking for instructions to withdraw the remission given to 11 inmates.

The National Federation of Indian Women, whose general secretary is Annie Raja, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), represented by Subhashini Ali, the journalist Revati Laul, the professor and social activist Roop Rekha Verma, and the TMC MP Mahua Moitra, filed the arguments.

In their affidavit, the Gujarat government supported the remission of fines given to convicts by noting that they had served a total of 14 years in prison and that their “behaviour was found to be good.”

The State government claimed that it had taken into account the cases of all 11 convicts in accordance with the 1992 policy, and that remission had been granted on August 10, 2022. The Central government had also given its approval for the convicts’ early release.

It is important to remember that the remission was not given in accordance with the circular governing the grant of remission to inmates in honour of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” as it has been stated.

The affidavit has stated, “State government considered all the opinions and decided to release 11 prisoners since they have completed 14 years and above in prisons and their behaviour was found to be good.”

The petitioners who filed the PIL contesting the ruling had their locus standi called into question by the government, which claimed they were unrelated to the case.

The arguments stated that they were contesting the order of the Gujarati government’s competent authority, which permitted 11 people who had been charged with a series of terrible crimes to be released on August 15, 2022 as a result of remission being granted to them.

Remission in this horrible instance would go completely against the public interest, shock the public conscience, as well as the victim’s interests (her family has made public declarations expressing concern for her safety), petitions noted.

Bilkis Bano approaches apex court against remission of 11 convicts, CJI to look into

November 30, 2022, 2:37 pm

Bilkis Bano approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday to challenge the release of the 11 convicts who were released on August 15 of this year. Her lawyer brought up the subject today before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who responded by saying he will look into the plea’s listing.

A number of petitions challenging the Gujarat government’s decision were filed in the top court after the early release of the 11 defendants who had been given life sentences in the 2002 gangrape case received widespread criticism. As the cases are being considered, Bilkis Bano’s lawyer on Wednesday submitted a writ petition challenging the remission of the sentence.

The 11 men were found guilty of the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the riots in 2002.

The Gujarat administration claimed that the remission was given to them as a result of their “good behaviour” as the Supreme Court heard earlier petitions filed in opposition to the remission.

The Gujarati government stated that the Centre had given its approval to the move. However, it was disclosed in its affidavit that the CBI and the trial court’s presiding judge opposed the convicts’ release because of how serious and horrific their offence was.

The subject became the focus of a political controversy prior to the Gujarat Assembly Election in 2022 after BJP MLA CK Raulji supported the Bilkis Bano rapists and said that some of the convicts were brahmins with good “sasnkaar.”

A court chaired by Justice Ajay Rastogi declared in May 2022 that Gujarat’s government has the authority to hear the petition for remission. On Wednesday, lawyer Shobha Gupta represented Bilkis Bano. She expressed doubt that Justice Rastogi would be able to hear the case because he is currently engaging in a Constitution Bench hearing.

“The review has to be heard first. let it come before Justice Rastogi,” CJI said adding that he will decide on the listing of the plea after looking into it.

Owaisi slams Kejriwal for his silence on Bilkis Bano case, UCC

November 28, 2022, 12:22 pm

Asaduddin Owaisi, a Lok Sabha MP, criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday ahead of the civic elections for the city on a number of issues, including healthcare, garbage management and water supply.

Among other things, Owaisi charged Kejriwal with being mute on the Bilkis Bano case and the Uniform Civil Code. When Bilkis Bano was sexually assaulted during the Gujarat riots in 2002, she was nine months pregnant, and the recent release of the defendants in the case had greatly angered the public.

“I think if there is a competition about who makes bigger false claims – (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi or Kejriwal – they are equals. It was this Delhi CM who made no attempts to stop riots (in the city in 2020). He just sat near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue to protest,” Owaisi claimed, stepping up the attack on Kejriwal. “He even talks about putting Lakshmi-Ganesh photos on notes. Now the younger brother is making an appeal to the elder brother, and the elder brother is happy that the younger one is following in his footsteps,” the Hyderabad MP further said, without naming Arvind Kejriwal and PM Modi.

Arvind Kejriwal had come under fire for his ‘request’ to the Prime Minister for putting the photos of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes. “India is a country where all religions are respected. Even if a person is an agnostic, he too is respected.”

“When the stir at Shaheen Bagh (against Citizenship Amendment Act) was gaining wide attention, he made remarks such as – ‘I would have finished the protests in half hour if it was in my control’,” Owaisi said.

“When the first Covid wave was on, the Delhi Chief Minister was among those who blamed the Tablighi Jamaat for the surge in case. A special bulletin used to come highlighting the Jamaat cases separately,” the AIMIM chief said.

His remarks were made when he canvassed voters ahead of Sunday’s MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) elections.

The AAP wants to take over the MCD, which is now under the authority of the BJP. Vote tallying will take place on December 7.

Mahua Moitra calls Gujarat Model as Hate & Kill on poll ticket to MLA who called Bilkil Bano rapists ‘sanskari’

November 13, 2022, 2:42 pm

Mahua Moitra, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, referred to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “Gujarat model” as “hate and kill, then fete and reward” on Saturday after the saffron party fielded a Godhra MLA who defended the release of Bilkis Bano convicts and referred to them as “Brahmins with sanskar” for next month’s elections,

“Godhra MLA who called Bilkis case rapists & killers ‘Sanskari Brahmins’ is re-nominated by BJP. This is the Gujarat Model. Hate & Kill. Then Fete & Reward,” she tweeted.

Moitra is one of the petitioners who have asked the Supreme Court to reverse its decision to free the 11 rapists in the Bilkis Bano case. The matter’s subsequent hearing is slated for November 29.

In an interview with news outlet Mojo Story in August, days following the men’s release, BJP’s Chandrasinh Raulji made the comments. He served on the Gujarat government committee that decided to release the 11 criminals.

During the interview, Raulji was heard saying in Hindi that the rapists are “good people – Brahmins”. “And Brahmins are known to have good ‘sanskar’. It might have been someone’s ill intention to corner and punish them,” he said, adding the convicts showed good conduct during their time behind bars.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Y Satish Reddy shared the video on Twitter and referred to the BJP as “the lowest a party can ever stoop” in response to the BJP MLA’s remarks.

Later, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the Gujarat government, which is led by the BJP, defended its choice to release the criminals. The rapists had served 14 years in prison, according to the statement, and their “behaviour was found to be good.”

During the sectarian riots in Gujarat in 2002, Bano—who was five months pregnant—was raped and seven of her family members—including her three-year-old daughter—were slain. The 11 prisoners, who had been serving life sentences in the Godhra Sub-Jail, were freed on August 15.

Before the assembly elections in August 2017, Raulji defected from the Congress party to the BJP. Only 258 votes separated him from his former side as he won the elections on the platform of his new party. . Raulji had triumphed with a Congress ticket in the previous elections, which were held in 2007 and 2012.

Mahua Moitra condemns Modi-Shah govt on Bilkis Bano rapists’s return to village

October 23, 2022, 4:31 pm

After hearing that Bilkis Bano rapists were returning to their villages, Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra renewed her condemnation of the ‘Modi-Shah’ government for letting the beast out. In response to Govindbhai Akhambhai Nai’s assertion that Hindus do not commit rape, Mahua Moitra said, “So says Govind Nai, Bilkis’ convicted rapist & killer of innocents. This beast has been let out by ModiShah’s govt.”

Mahua Moitra is one of the petitioners who complained to the Supreme Court over the 11 convicts’ early release and return to their previous lives. The Supreme Court was told by the Gujarati government that the Union Home Ministry issued the release order. On November 29, a hearing will be held to address the petition against the remission. A women’s organization’s appeal against the remission will now be heard by the top court, which has consented to do so.

The Gujarat government defended the decision, citing the convicts’ good behaviour and the fact that they had served 14 years in prison, in the face of a nationwide outcry over the release of the Bilkis Bano rapists on August 15.

However, according to data from the Gujarat government, the 11 convicted individuals were released on parole for 998 to 1,576 days, which reduces their total sentence to almost 10 years. The Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court that one of the prisoners, Mitesh Chamanlal Bhatt, even received a charge-sheet in 2020 while he was on parole for outraging a woman’s modesty.

Her three-year-old daughter and other family members were killed as Bilkis Bano fled the Godhra riots and was subsequently gangraped. Bilkis was five-month pregnant. A life sentence was given to each of the 11 men who were found guilty in the case.

Govindbhai Akhambhai Nai told NDTV that the prisoners are now relocating to their villages “We are innocent. Have you ever witnessed an uncle and a nephew rape a victim in public? Does this happens in Hindu community? Hindus don’t do that, though.”

‘We now release cheetahs’, PM Modi says, Owaisi adds ‘And rapists’

October 19, 2022, 1:17 pm

Asaduddin Owaisi, the head of AIMIM and a prominent figure in Hyderabad, spoke on the Bilkis Bano case on Wednesday in the midst of a new controversy brought on by the Gujarat government’s claim before the Supreme Court that the Union home ministry gave the order for the release of the 11 convicts. Owaisi added “rapists” to the list as Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared during the opening of the Gujarat Defense Expo 2022 that the nation has come a long way from releasing pigeons to cheetahs.

The Bilkis Bano rape prisoners were released over the CBI’s opposition due to their good behaviour and completion of their sentences, according to the Gujarat government. On Wednesday, it was learned that Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt, one of the 11 convicts, had molested a woman in June 2020 while he was on parole.

Mahua Moitra, a Trinamool MP, questioned what “good behaviour” actually meant in light of this new revelation. “Ache log. Achhe din. “Good behaviour” beti ko molest karna bhi aapke liye?” Tweets from Mahua.

Slamming the BJP, she said the first item on the BJP’s poll manifesto will be the promise to release all “sanskari” rapists and killers on every national holiday if re-elected.

The Trinamool MP had remarked that rather than examining each of the 11 instances separately, the Centre permitted a bulk remission of all 11 convicts. Mahua further emphasized that each prisoner had been on parole for around four years throughout their in prison.

Bilkis Bano rapist accused for ‘outraging woman’s modesty while on parole’

October 19, 2022, 11:49 am

One of the convicts, Mitesh Chimanlal, of the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her seven family members, including her 3-year-old child, who was approved for early release by the Modi government, is accused of outraging a woman’s modesty while on parole in June 2020. The trial in the case is still pending.

The office of the Superintendent of Police, Dahod, had informed the district magistrate that an “offence has been registered against the said applicant/accused prisoner no.26143-Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt, re. Singwad, Ta. Singwad Dist. Dahod in Randhikpur Police St. A Part Cr.No.1121001200158/2020.I.P.C.Sections 354,504,506 (2),114 on 19/06/2022.”

It also said that a “chargesheet has been filed and currently this case is pending on the board of the Hon’ble Court.”

According to information provided by the Gujarat government to the Supreme Court, the Union ministry of home affairs allowed the early release of 11 accused in the Bilkis Bano case in August of this year, citing their “good behaviour” as a major factor in the decision.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra, one of the petitioners against the release of the convicts, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers Amit Shah and Pralhad Joshi to define “good behaviour”.

“Bilkis convict Mitesh Bhatt of molestation of a woman while on parole in 2020, trial pending u/354 IPC. This man was released by you. Achhe Din. Acche Log. Beti ko molest karna bhi apka liye “good behaviour”,” she tweeted.

Taking a jibe at the Centre’s decision, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a tweet, “The more you treat a woman badly, the better human you become. It seems to be the new strategy of the government of India.”

“This is the Home Ministry’s good-behavior certificate-holding man. “

The counter affidavit to pleas contesting the remission is quite bulky, the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday, and numerous judgements have been mentioned but factual facts are missing.

“I have not come across a counter affidavit where a series of judgments are quoted. A factual statement should have been made. A very bulky counter. Where is the factual statement…..?” a bench headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi observed.

Bilkis Bano Case: Supreme Court notice to Gujarat govt on plea against remission of 11 accused

August 25, 2022, 3:33 pm

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Gujarat government over 11 convicts’ release in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of his family members during the Godhra riots of Gujarat.

A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Ajay Rastogi, and Justice Vikram Nath issued notice to the state government

The court asked, “Issue notice. File your reply. We direct the 11 convicts to be impleaded in the case.”

The plea was filed by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, Journalist Ravati Laul, and social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma.

“It is submitted that it would appear that the constitution of members of the competent authority of the Gujarat government also bore allegiance to a political party, and also was sitting MLAs. As such, it would appear that the competent authority was not an authority that was entirely independent, and one that could independently apply its mind to the facts at hand,” the plea stated.

“The 11 persons were sentenced to life imprisonment for commission of the offenses of, inter alia, gang-rape and murder of multiple people during the large-scale communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 on January 18, 2008, passed by the Sessions Court in Greater Mumbai and the conviction was upheld by way of Judgment dated May 4, 2017, passed by High Court of Mumbai,” the petition stated.

Meanwhile, the CBI investigated the case of 11 convicts.

“The remission in this heinous case would be entirely against public interest and would shock the collective public conscience, as also be entirely against the interests of the victim (whose family has publicly made statements worrying for her safety),” read the plea.

“It is submitted that on such facts (facts of the case), no right-thinking authority applying any test under any extant policy would consider it fit to grant remission to persons who are found to have been involved in the commission of such gruesome acts,” the plea said.

Moreover, the 11 convicts who have been released are – Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhesham Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhia, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, and Ramesh Chandana.

Notably, on 15 August all the accused were released who were sentenced to life imprisonment. In March 2002, Bano was allegedly gang-raped during the post-Godhra riots in which 14 members of her family died.

IAS officer in ‘disbelief’ at release of Bilkis case convicts

August 19, 2022, 12:30 pm

The release of 11 men convicted in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her 5-year-old daughter and 13 other people during the Gujarat riots in 2002 shocked an IAS officer from the Telangana cadre. As a woman and a government servant, Smita Sabharwal, also known as The People’s Officer, stated that upon learning of the discharge of the defendants in the Bilkis Bano case, she sat in shock.

“As a woman and a civil servant, I sit in disbelief, on reading the news on the #BilkisBanoCase,” the 2001-batch IAS officer tweeted. “We cannot snuff out her Right to breathe free without fear, again and call ourselves a free nation.”

As a woman and a civil servant I sit in disbelief, on reading the news on the #BilkisBanoCase.
We cannot snuff out her Right to breathe free without fear, again and call ourselves a free nation. #JusticeForBilkisBano pic.twitter.com/NYL6YS59Gh
— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) August 18, 2022

Additionally, Bilkis Bano’s attorney made a statement on the survivor’s behalf in which she said that the release of the defendants had destroyed her confidence in the legal system and left her feeling numb.

“On August 15, 2022, the trauma of the past 20 years washed over me again when I heard that the 11 convicted men who devastated my family and my life and took from me my three-year-old daughter had walked free,” she said in a statement released by her lawyer Sobha. “I was bereft of words. I am still numb.”

She has pleaded with the Gujarati government to “correct this harm” and restore her right to “live without fear and in peace.”

There has been a widespread outcry about the release of the convicts under the previous 1992 remission regime, and many people are demanding the Supreme Court to get involved. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Jairam Ramesh, among other senior Congress leaders, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that the choice would not have been made without the approval of the national government.

After a BJP MLA who served on the state government panel that recommended the release said that some of the prisoners were “Brahmins” with good “sanskaar,” or morals, the argument heated up. The Godhra-based BJP MLA, C K Raulji, claimed to be unaware of the inmates’ possible involvement in the crime.

“We took the decision on the basis of a Supreme Court order. We were asked to look at their (convicts’) behaviour and decide (on their early release),” Raulji told MoJo, a news portal. “We asked the jailer and learnt that their behaviour was good in the prison…also, some of the convicts) are Brahmins. They have good ‘sanskaar’ (values),” he added.