Bilkis Bano Case: SC Agrees To Constitute Special Bench For Hearing Plea Challenging Early Release Of 11 Rape Convicts

NEW DELHI: In a major development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to constitute a Special Bench for hearing a plea challenging the pre-mature release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family slaughtered during the 2002 Gujarat riots, has challenged the pre-mature release of 11 rape convicts by the BJP-led Gujarat government. All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15 last year.

Supreme Court agrees to constitute a bench to hear pleas challenging the pre-mature release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. pic.twitter.com/I85oe2bE2B

— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023

In her plea, Bilki Bano has contended that ''the state government passed a mechanical order completely ignoring the requirement of law as laid down by the Supreme Court.'' “The enmasse premature release of the convicts in the much talked about case of Bilkis Bano, has shaken the conscience of the society and resulted in a number of agitations across the country,” she said in her plea.

The Supreme Court had last month agreed to constitute a Special Bench to hear the petitions challenging the order of the Gujarat government that permitted the premature release of 11 convicts, who were sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed. The investigation in the case was handed over to the CBI and the trial was transferred to a Maharashtra court by the Supreme Court.

A special CBI court in Mumbai had on January 21, 2008, sentenced the 11 to life imprisonment on charges of gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven members of her family. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.

The 11 men convicted in the case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. They had completed more than 15 years in jail.