Bilkis Bano gangrape: Javed Akhtar reacts strongly to release of 11 convicts, says 'something seriously going wrong'

Photo courtesy: Instagram

NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Javed Akhtar has reacted strongly to the Gujarat government's decision to release all 11 convicts in the case relating to Bilkis Bano gangrape and murder of her relatives, including her minor daughter, during the 2002 riots in the state. Javed, an acclaimed lyricist, took to Twitter to share his opinion on the matter.

"Those who raped a 5 month pregnant woman after killing 7 of her family including her 3 year old daughter were set free from the jail offered sweets and were garlanded . Don’t hide behind whatabouts. Think!! Some thing is seriously going wrong with our society,” Javed wrote in his tweet.

BILKIS BANO GANGRAPE CASE

On August 15, all the 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2002 case of Bilkis Bano's gang rape and murder of her seven family members during the communal riots walked out of the Godhra sub-jail after the BJP government in Gujarat allowed their release under its remission policy, drawing a sever flak from Opposition parties.

A special CBI court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, sentenced to life imprisonment all the 11 accused in the case for the murder of seven family members of Bilkis Bano, a riots survivor, and her gangrape. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court. They were released after the Supreme Court directed the government to consider the plea of the convicts for relief under the state's 1992 remission policy.

These convicts had served more than 15 years in prison after which one of them approached the Supreme Court with a plea for his premature release. The apex court had directed the Gujarat government to look into the issue of remission of his sentence as per its 1992 policy based on the date of his conviction. Thereafter, the government formed a committee which decided to allow the release of all the convicts.

On March 3, 2002, Bilkis Bano's family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village in Limkheda taluka of the Dahod district. Bilkis, who was five months pregnant at the time, was gangraped and seven members of her family were killed during the riots triggered by the Godhra train burning incident.

The Supreme Court had in April 2019 directed the Gujarat government to give Rs 50 lakh compensation, a job and accommodation to Bilkis.

The 11 convicts who were granted premature release are Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, and Ramesh Chandana. While convicting them, the special court had acquitted seven accused citing lack of evidence. One of the accused had died during the course of the trial.

The Bombay High Court had on May 3, 2017 upheld their conviction. It also convicted seven others, including five policemen and two doctors, under IPC sections 218 (not performing their duties) and 201 (tampering with evidence).

Riots had erupted in Gujarat following the burning of a Sabarmati Express coach that killed 59 'karsevaks 'on February 27, 2002. The violence had claimed the lives of 1,044 people, mostly Muslims, across different parts of the state. The central government had informed the Rajya Sabha in May 2005 that 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed in the post-Godhra riots.

(With PTI inputs)