India’s Supreme Court has overturned the Gujarat government’s decision to release eleven men convicted of gang-raping a pregnant Muslim woman during the 2002 Godhra riots. The court stated on Monday that only the state where the crime took place has the authority to decide on the convicts’ release, and in this case, it is Maharashtra, not Gujarat.
The Apex Court criticized the Gujarat government’s decision to grant clemency to the convicts, emphasizing that it was an abuse of power. The case, known as the Bilkis Bano case, had its hearing in Maharashtra. The court directed the convicts to surrender within two weeks.
Who is Bilkis Bano?
Bilkis Bano’s case, more than 21 years old, is back in the spotlight as the Supreme Court nullified the Gujarat government’s decision to release 11 convicts on Monday. The court also ordered the convicts to surrender within two weeks.
During the communal violence in Godhra, Gujarat, Bilkis Bano was subjected to sexual assault, and members of her family were brutally murdered. The Gujarat government had released the convicts on August 15, 2023.
Bilkis Bano and her family were among the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, where a fire near Godhra station on February 27, 2002, resulted in the death of 59 returning Ayodhya pilgrims. The aftermath of this incident led to riots in Gujarat.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the release of the 2002 riots convicts emphasizes the need for justice in cases of communal violence and sends a strong message against any misuse of power in granting clemency.
