Bilkis Bano case: Release of convicts challenged in Supreme Court

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

New Delhi, Aug 23, 2022: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will look into the petition challenging remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

 

The Supreme Court was on Tuesday hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo Member Subhashini Ali and two others.

Eleven convicts, sentenced to life imprisonment, 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.

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

The remission granted by the Gujarat Government to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case was challenged before the Supreme Court, to which the CJI said, “we will look into it".

CJI on Monday asked the petitioner if it was by virtue of of the Supreme Court orders the convicts were released

“No. SC gave a discretion to the government to consider it. The bench was of Justice Ajay Rastogi. We are challenging the remission, not the order of SC," the petitioner responded.