From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed a hearing on November 29 on the pleas challenging the remission of life term and release of 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bana gang-rape case and murder of her seven family members during the Gujarat riots.
The 11 men convicted to life imprisonment walked out free from the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. They had completed more than 15 years in jail.
Bilkis was 21 and 5-month pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident. Among those killed was her 3-year-old daughter.
In an affidavit on Monday, the Gujarat government had claimed that it had secured “suitable orders” for grant of remission to the convicts from the Centre and the investigations were carried out by the CBI thoroughly.
It sought dismissal of the petitions, claiming that those challenging the remission given to 11 convicts on August 15 under its remission policy as they had completed more than 15 years in jail were nothing but “interlopers” and “busybody” who had nothing to do with the victims.
A Bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and C T Ravi Kumar ordered supply of copy of the Gujarat government reply to all parties, giving time to them to file their response to the state government’s affidavit.
The PILs against remission in Bilkis Bano case are filed by CPI(M) member @SubhashiniAl, journalist Revati Laul, Prof Roop Rekha Verma, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Dr. Meeran Chadha Borwankar(ex-IPS), Madhu Badhuri (ex-IFS ), activist Jagdeep Chhokar.
