New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday quashed the Gujarat government's decision to grant early remission to 11 convicts, involved in the rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family.
The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment for gangraping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bano was five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident.
All convicts in the case were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.
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What happened so far:
- March 3, 2002: A violent mob, part of the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, descended upon the family of 21-year-old Bilkis Bano in Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad. The woman was gang-raped, while seven members of her family were murdered.
- December 2003: The Supreme Court directed a CBI inquiry into Bilkis Bano's case.
- January 21, 2008: A special CBI court in Mumbai convicted 11 men and sentenced them to life imprisonment on the charge of gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano's family.
- December 2016: The Bombay High Court reserved judgment on appeals filed by the 11 convicts.
- May 2017: The Bombay High Court upheld life sentences of the 11 convicts.
- April 23, 2019: The Supreme Court asked the Gujarat government to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis Bano.
- May 13, 2022: The Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to consider the plea of a convict for pre-mature release in terms of its policy of July 9, 1992.
- August 15, 2022: The 11 convicts - Radheshyam Shah, Jaswant Chaturbhai Nai, Keshubhai Vadaniya, Bakabhai Vadaniya, Rajibhai Soni, Rameshbhai Chauhan, Shaileshbhai Bhatt, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Govindbhai Nai, Mitesh Bhatt and Pradip Modhiya - were released from Godhra sub-jail as part of the Gujarat government's remission policy.
- August 25, 2022: The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and Gujarat government on Public Interest Litigation (PIL) jointly filed by former CPI MP Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul and professor Roop Rekha Verma against the premature release of convicts.
- November 30, 2022: Bilkis Bano moved the top court challenging the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts and said that their premature release has "shaken the conscience of society".
- December 17, 2022: The Supreme Court dismissed Bilkis Bano's plea seeking a review of its May 13 verdict in which it had said the state of Gujarat was the "appropriate government" competent to examine the application for the pre-mature release filed by a convict in the gangrape and murder case.
- March 27, 2023: The top court issued a notice to the Centre, Gujarat government and others on a plea filed by Bilkis Bano.
- August 7, 2023: Supreme Court began final hearing on petitions challenging the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission. As said by the Gujarat government, it decided to release the convicts as they completed 14 years of sentence and as their behaviour was found to be good.
- October 12, 2023: The apex court bench, comprised of Justice BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, reserved its verdict after an 11-day hearing on the petitions, including the one filed by Bilkis Bano.
- January 8, 2024: Supreme Court quashed remission to 11 convicts, saying the orders were "stereotyped" and passed without application of mind. The court also directed convicts to surrender to jail authorities within two weeks.
(With PTI inputs)
