The release of the culprits of Bilkis Bano gang rape case, has been continuously criticized by the opposition parties as well as various NGOs. Moreover, the issue was ignited since the alleged Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders welcomed the culprits, garlanding them after their release.
However, today, the Supreme Court finally decided to take into account an appeal challenging the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. Subhashini Ali, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Mahua Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP of the All India Trinamool Congress, and another petitioner, filed the Public Interest Litigation that was being heard by the apex court.
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The bench of Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, took notice of the arguments made by senior advocates Aparna Bhat, Kapil Sibal, and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, opposing the release of the 11 culprits in Bilkis Bano case, representing Subhashini Ali, Mahua Moitra and the other petitioner.
The Gujarat government, under its remission policy, released the 11 convicts on August 15. Furthermore, today, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal stated, “My Lords, we are not challenging the order of the Supreme Court, we’re challenging the principles on the basis of which the convicts of the Bilkis Bano case had been released.”
On January 21, 2008, the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) sentenced the 11 convicts to life imprisonment on the charges of gang rape, and murder of seven family members of Bilkis Bano. Unfortunately, Bilkis Bano, who was pregnant at that time, was brutally gang raped, and her seven family members, including her 14-year-old daughter was murdered by the mob on March 3, 2002, in Dahod.
This was a part of the statewide violence in Gujarat, which took place after the Sabarmati Express was attacked and 59 ‘kar sevaks’ were burnt alive. However, now the SC has decided to hear the plea challenging the release of the 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case.
