On August 15, the Gujarat government had released 11 convicts under its remission and premature release policy after one of the convicts — Radheshyam Shah — moved the Supreme Court.
New Delhi: Newly-appointed Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Tuesday said he will look into the matter of early release of the 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano case after a plea challenging the Gujarat High Court order was mentioned in the Supreme Court.
On August 15, the Gujarat government had released 11 convicts under its remission and premature release policy after one of the convicts — Radheshyam Shah — moved the Supreme Court.
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.
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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, during the Godhra riots. 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.
After the release, BJP MLA C K Raulji said the rapists are Brahmins and “have good sanskaar”. Raulji was one of the members of the Gujarat government panel that decided to release the convicts and on Independence Day, all the 11 walked out of the jail and videos showed their family members greeting them with garlands and sweets. The decision to release the convicts was taken after one of them approached the Supreme Court seeking remission and the Gujarat government was asked to take a call.
