Bilkis Bano Challenges Premature Release Of Rape Convicts

Bilkis Bano has approached the Supreme Court challenging the premature release of the 11 men convicted of gangraping her and murdering her family in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The apex court is set to hear Bano's plea on December 13.

The Bilkis Bano case convicts were released on Independence Day, August 15, by the Gujarat government under a past remission policy.

The Gujarat government released all 11 convicts under the 1992 remission policy. The central government also fast-tracked the release.

If the Gujarat government had gone by the 2014 remission policy rather than the outdated policy, it would not have been possible to release the convicts. The 2014 remission policy bars the release of rape and murder convicts.

Suggested Reading: Bilkis Bano Calls Decision To Free Convicts 'Unjust', But Who Is Listening To Her?

Bilkis Bano Challenges Remission

Bilkis Bano said in her petition that the Maharashtra government, not the Gujarat government should have decided on the remission of the convicts.

Bano filed a review plea against the May order of the Supreme Court which allowed the Gujarat government to apply the 1992 Remission Rules to release the convicts.

Her lawyer mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for listing. Chandrachud said he would examine the issue.

The remission of the Bilkis Bano case convicts drew criticism from activists and politicians and several petitions questioned the premature release.

The Gujarat government mentioned that the decision was approved by the Centre. However, its affidavit revealed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the presiding judge of the trial court objected to the release of the convicts as their offence was grave and heinous.

The 11 convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special CBI court in Mumbai in 2008. Their conviction was later upheld by the Mumbai High Court and Supreme Court.

Bilkis Bano Case

In March 2002, Bilkis Bano was gangraped by the convicts and members of her family were brutally murdered by the same men. Her 3-year-old daughter was brutally murdered by the convicts. At the time of the attack, Bano was five months pregnant.

13 people were found guilty of gangrape, participating in a criminal conspiracy, and murder in the case. Out of the 13 convicts, 11 of them received life sentences.