The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for October 9 to address petitions challenging the early release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan presided over the case and requested the petitioners, including Bilkis Bano, to submit concise written rejoinder arguments.
During the proceedings, the court emphasized its reluctance to reopen the entire case and advised the petitioners' counsel to provide a brief summary of their rejoinder arguments. The hearing on October 9 will be crucial in determining the fate of these convicts, PTI reported.
Earlier in the case, the court had questioned whether convicts possess a fundamental right to seek remission, highlighting the legal intricacies surrounding this issue. The court had also emphasized the importance of equitable remission practices for all prisoners.
Notably, the challenge to the release of these convicts is not limited to Bilkis Bano's petition; several public interest litigations (PILs) have been filed by individuals such as CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, independent journalist Revati Laul, and former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma, as well as TMC MP Mahua Moitra. These petitions collectively raise questions about the fairness and legality of the convicts' premature release.
The case revolves around the tragic events of 2002 when Bilkis Bano, at the age of 21 and five months pregnant, was subjected to a horrific gangrape during the Gujarat riots. Her family also suffered the loss of seven members in the communal violence that ensued after the Godhra train-burning incident.
