In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has quashed the remission order granted by the Gujarat government to 11 men convicted of gangraping Bilkis Bano during the 2002 riots, triggering reactions from the Opposition parties
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court quashed the remission order granted by the Gujarat government to 11 men convicted of gangraping Bilkis Bano during the 2002 riots, on January 8. The court ordered their return to prison within two weeks, citing the state’s lack of authority and procedural flaws in the release process, triggering sharp reactions from the Opposition parties.
The Congress has hailed the Supreme Court judgment quashing the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, saying it has removed the veil over the BJP’s anti-women policies.
Reacting to the ruling, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said justice has ultimately prevailed.
“With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened. Congratulations to Bilkis Bano for continuing her fight bravely,” she said in a post in Hindi on ‘X’.
The Congress’ media and publicity head Pawan Khera said the Supreme Court judgment quashing the release of the 11 rapists by the Gujarat government “exposes the BJP’s callous disregard for women”.
“It is a slap on the face of those who facilitated the illegal release of these criminals and also those who garlanded the convicts and fed sweets to them…,” Pawan Khera said.
“India will not allow the administration of justice to be incumbent on the religion or the caste of the victim or the perpetrator of a crime,” he added.
In a post on ‘X’, the Congress said attacked the verdict shows the “anti-women” act of the BJP government in Gujarat. “This decision of the Supreme Court in the Bilkis Bano case is historic. This decision exposes the anti-women act of the BJP government of Gujarat in releasing the rapists of Bilkis Bano. This shows how disgusting the BJP’s thinking is towards women,” the party said in Hindi.
“At least, it does hold some hope for justice,” said, CPI(M) leader after SC cancelled the Gujarat order in the Bilkis Bano case.
SUPREME COURT ON BILKIS BANO CASE
The Gujarat government’s remission order was “without the application of mind”, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had said, asking whether “heinous crimes against women permit remission,” whatever faith she may follow or creed she may belong to.
A bench of justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the convicts to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks.
Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident in February 2002. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed.
All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.
“We strike down the remission orders on the ground of usurpation of power by the Gujarat government,” the bench had said.
In its more than 100-page judgment, the Supreme Court had stated that the Gujarat government was not the appropriate government to pass the remission order. It clarified that the state in which an offender is tried and sentenced is competent to decide the remission plea of convicts. The convicts were tried in Maharashtra.
“We need not have gone into the other issues. But for the sake of completion, we have. Rule of law is breached because the Gujarat government usurped power not vested in it and abused its power. On that ground also, the remission orders deserve to be quashed,” the bench had said.
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Published: 08 Jan 2024, 01:57 PM IST
