India
Bilkis Bano case: On August 15, the BJP-led Gujarat government released all 11 convicts under its remission policy.
Updated : Aug 25, 2022, 06:25 AM IST | Edited by : Prashant Tamta
Supreme Court will hear on Thursday pleas challenging the release of all 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. The pleas have challenged the decision of the BJP-led Gujarat government to grant remission to 11 convicts who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
Who filed the plea in the Bilkis Bano case?
A bench led by CJI NV Ramana, also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath, will hear the petitions filed by CPM Politburo member Subhashini Ali, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and one other person.
Gujarat government grants remission to convicts
On August 15, the BJP-led Gujarat government released all 11 convicts under its remission policy after they served 15 years in jail in the case.
The top court passed on the matter of remission to the state government after one of the convicts had approached it with an appeal for release.
Massive outrage against the decision
After a massive outrage over the decision of the Gujarat government, the top court on Tuesday agreed to consider listing the plea challenging the grant of remission to the 11 life convicts.
Who are all the convicts?
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.
Life imprisonment to 11 convicts
In January 2008, a special CBI court in Mumbai 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 and the Supreme Court.
Bilkis Bano case
Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the violence that broke out after the Godhra train burning. Seven members of her family were murdered including her three-year-old daughter.
The state had witnessed riots after the Sabarmati Express was attacked in Godhra and 59 passengers, mainly 'kar sevaks', were burnt to death.