2002 Gujarat riots: Bilkis Bano files plea in SC against release of 11 rape-murder convicts | India News
NEW DELHI: Bilkis Bano on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court, challenging the remission of sentence and premature release of 11 convicts who had gangraped her and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. Bano filed a review plea against the May order of the SC which allowed the Gujarat government to apply the 1992 Remission Policy.
The SC has considered listing the fresh plea of Bano.
As Bano’s lawyer mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for listing, he said he will examine the issue whether both the pleas can be heard together and before the same bench.
A bench comprising CJI Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Shobha Gupta that the victim herself has challenged the grant of remission and release of the convicts, and said the matter be listed for hearing.
She said that Justice Ajay Rastogi, who was part of the bench which had heard other similar pleas against the remission, was now part of a Constitution Bench hearing.
The CJI replied, “The review has to be heard first. Let it come before Justice Rastogi.тАЭ
When the counsel for Bano said let the matter be heard in open court, the bench said, “Only the court concerned can decide that.”
The CJI said that he would take a call on the issue in the evening.
Earlier, a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar had said that it would hear a fresh plea moved by a women’s organisation, National Federation of Indian Women, challenging the remission of sentence and the release of the convicts in the case.
The men, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, were released from Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy prevalent in the state at the time of their conviction in 2008.
As the matter reached the SC, the Gujarat government told the apex court on October 17 that the men were granted early release as they had served 15 years of their life sentence and their “behaviour was found to be good”.
In an affidavit, the Gujarat government said the decision was taken as per a 1992 remission policy issued by the apex court and not “under a circular governing grant of remission to prisoners as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
The SC has considered listing the fresh plea of Bano.
As Bano’s lawyer mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for listing, he said he will examine the issue whether both the pleas can be heard together and before the same bench.
A bench comprising CJI Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Shobha Gupta that the victim herself has challenged the grant of remission and release of the convicts, and said the matter be listed for hearing.
She said that Justice Ajay Rastogi, who was part of the bench which had heard other similar pleas against the remission, was now part of a Constitution Bench hearing.
The CJI replied, “The review has to be heard first. Let it come before Justice Rastogi.тАЭ
When the counsel for Bano said let the matter be heard in open court, the bench said, “Only the court concerned can decide that.”
The CJI said that he would take a call on the issue in the evening.
Earlier, a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar had said that it would hear a fresh plea moved by a women’s organisation, National Federation of Indian Women, challenging the remission of sentence and the release of the convicts in the case.
The men, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, were released from Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy prevalent in the state at the time of their conviction in 2008.
As the matter reached the SC, the Gujarat government told the apex court on October 17 that the men were granted early release as they had served 15 years of their life sentence and their “behaviour was found to be good”.
In an affidavit, the Gujarat government said the decision was taken as per a 1992 remission policy issued by the apex court and not “under a circular governing grant of remission to prisoners as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
Bano was gangraped in Gujarat’s Randhikpur village and seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were killed on March 3, 2002, during the riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. She was 21 years old and five months pregnant at the time.
(With inputs from agencies)
Godhra riots: Bilkis Bano files plea in SC against release of 11 rape-murder convicts
