It also seemed that there was a divide between the Centre and the Gujarat government on the treatment of rape convicts.
New Delhi: Amid row over walking out of 11 convicts who were serving life imprisonment for the 2002 post-Godhra Bilkis Bano rape and murder of seven member of her family from Godhra sub-jail on Monday last since the Gujarat Government had allowed their release under its remission policy, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Congress leader, in a tweet, said, “Unnao – Work to save BJP MLA. Kathua- Rally in support of rapists. Hathras – Government in favor of rapists. Gujarat – Rapists’ release and respect! Support of criminals shows the petty mentality of BJP towards women. There is no shame on such politics, Prime Minister?”
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also slammed Gujarat government for allowing release of the accused. Chidambaram tweeted, “The settled position of law is that in a case where the prosecuting agency was the CBI, the state government is obliged to consult the central government before granting remission of sentence.”
He further tweeted, “The obvious questions are: did the Government of Gujarat consult the central government? Next, what was the view of the central government? It is unimaginable that the Gujarat government would have defied the view of the central government.”
All 11 convicts who were serving life sentence were released from Godhra sub-jail on August 15 as the state government had allowed their release. The convicts had served imprisonment of more than 15 years in jail.
Meanwhile, it also seemed that there was a divide between the Centre and the Gujarat government on the treatment of rape convicts. The apparent difference had come to light after the release of the convicts. In June, the Centre had proposed to release convicted prisoners to mark the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav but rape convicts were not listed among those who could be released. However, the Gujarat government followed its own policy as per Supreme Court directions and released the convicts. The apex court had asked the state government to consider a remission plea by one of the convicts.
The Centre had vehemently opposed the release of rape victims. In Page 4 of the guidelines to the states on releasing convicts, the Centre had said no one with life sentence will be released. Bilkis Bano was 21-year-old and five months pregnant when she was raped. Her toddler daughter was killed along with six others of the family on March 3, 2002. Bano and her family were hiding in the fields, hoping to escape the violence after a coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt killing 59 karsevaks.
A special court in Mumbai had sentenced the 11 accused to life in prison in 2008 and later, the Bombay High Court upheld the order. One of the convicts earlier this year went to court to plead for premature release under the CrPC as he had served 15 years in prison. The Supreme Court said a decision can be taken by the Gujarat government.
After their release on Monday, the convicts were greeted with sweets outside the Godhra jail.
