New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the parole granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, saying the gravity of the crime should have been considered by the state. The Supreme Court observed that “just as apples cannot be compared to oranges, similarly a carnage cannot be compared to a murder,” and noted that the offense in question was “horrific” and showed application to the Government of Gujarat Mandatory 11 people mind in allowing premature release of convicts.
The top court also questioned the Center and the Gujarat government for not showing the apology files. On their part, the Center and the Gujarat government told the Supreme Court that they may file a review of the March 27 order in which the top court had sought original files to grant relief to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.
After this, the Supreme Court fixed the next hearing of the Bilkis Bano case on 2 May.
Hearing in SC in Bilkis Bano case. The Supreme Court questioned the government for not showing the apology files. The Supreme Court said the crime was “appalling”.
Centre, Gujarat govt tell Supreme Court they can file review of March 27 order seeking… – ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2023
SC said, ‘Horrible crime’
During the last hearing in March this year, the Supreme Court had asked the Gujarat government whether while granting immunity to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis case, the same standards followed in other murder cases were applied. The top court, which at the same time clarified that it would not be swayed by emotions in the matter and would only go by law, also directed the Gujarat government to produce all relevant documents on April 18, the next date of hearing.
A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagaratna issued notice to the Centre, the Gujarat government and the convicts on the plea filed by Bano and asked the parties to complete their arguments by the next date of hearing. “It is a very heinous act. We have the experience of people coming to this court that they are rotting in jails in ordinary cases of murder and their remission is not being considered. So, is this a case Where standards have been adopted similarly in other cases?” The bench commented orally.
Bilkis Bano challenges the release of rape convicts
Bano had approached the apex court on November 30 last year challenging the “premature” release of 11 life convicts by the state government, saying it has “shaken the conscience of the society”. The 11 people convicted in the case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 last year after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its immunity policy. He had completed more than 15 years in jail.
A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagaratna issued notice to the Centre, the Gujarat government and the convicts on the plea filed by Bano and asked the parties to complete their arguments by the next date of hearing. As soon as the hearing began, the bench said that there are various issues involved in it and there is a need to hear the matter in detail.
All the 11 convicts in the Bilkis case were given immunity by the Gujarat government and released on August 15 last year. The top court has taken up the PILs filed by CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, Revati Lal, an independent journalist, Roop Rekha Verma, who is the former Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra against the release of the convicts. ,
Bilkis Bano, the main petitioner in the case, 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. His three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed.