Bilkis Bano case: Plea challenging remission of 11 convicts mentioned in Supreme Court, CJI says will look into it
Chief Justice of India C J Ramana Tuesday said he would look into the remission of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, after a plea challenging the direction by the Gujarat High Court was mentioned in his court.
The Gujarat government on August 15 released 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano murder and gangrape case of 2002 under its remission and premature release policy after one of the convicts, Radheshyam Shah, moved the Supreme Court. Shah, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI court in Mumbai in 2008, had completed 15 years and 4 months in jail.
Plea against remission to Bilkis Bano case convicts mentioned in Supreme Court. CJI N V Ramana says he will look into it. @IndianExpress
— Ananthakrishnan G (@axidentaljourno) August 23, 2022
Bilkis was gangraped and her three-year-old daughter Saleha was among 14 killed by a mob on March 3, 2002, in Limkheda taluka of Dahod district. Bilkis was pregnant at the time.
Reacting to the release of the convicts, Bilkis had said she was “bereft of words” and “still numb”.
“Today, I can only say this — how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system and I was slowly learning to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my faith in justice,” she had said in a statement.
The 11 convicts who were set free were Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhyesham Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt and Ramesh Chandana.
