NEW DELHI: Three convicts involved in the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven members of her family during the 2002 riots in Gujarat filed a plea on Thursday with the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time to surrender.
The matter was presented before a bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathana and Sanjay Karol, which directed the registry to present the plea before the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
“It is stated by three respondents that applications have been filed for an extension of time to surrender and report to jail. Since the bench has to be reconstituted, registry has to seek orders from CJI for reconstitution of the bench since time expires on Sunday,” the bench said.
The apex court, on January 8, had overturned the Gujarat government’s decision to provide remission to 11 convicts in the case, stating that the decisions were “stereotyped” and issued without due consideration.
It had asked all the convicts to surrender before the jail authorities in two weeks.
The top court’s order had come after a series of petitions that sought the quashing of the Gujarat government’s decision to remit the sentences of 11 prisoners who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and slain 14 members of her family during the 2002 communal violence. Bilkis was also a petitioner.
Bilkis was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang raped, and her three-year-old daughter was one of the 14 family members slaughtered.
The matter was presented before a bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathana and Sanjay Karol, which directed the registry to present the plea before the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
“It is stated by three respondents that applications have been filed for an extension of time to surrender and report to jail. Since the bench has to be reconstituted, registry has to seek orders from CJI for reconstitution of the bench since time expires on Sunday,” the bench said.
The apex court, on January 8, had overturned the Gujarat government’s decision to provide remission to 11 convicts in the case, stating that the decisions were “stereotyped” and issued without due consideration.
It had asked all the convicts to surrender before the jail authorities in two weeks.
The top court’s order had come after a series of petitions that sought the quashing of the Gujarat government’s decision to remit the sentences of 11 prisoners who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and slain 14 members of her family during the 2002 communal violence. Bilkis was also a petitioner.
Bilkis was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang raped, and her three-year-old daughter was one of the 14 family members slaughtered.
