Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

India

Supreme Court Upholds Ruling on Bilkis Bano Convicts, Dismisses Gujarat Government’s Review Petition

In a setback for the Gujarat government, the Supreme Court has declined to remove comments made in its earlier ruling regarding the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

The bench, consisting of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, dismissed the Gujarat government’s review petition, stating, “Having carefully gone through the Review Petition… we are satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of the record or any merit in the Review Petition, warranting reconsideration of the order impugned.”

On January 8, the Supreme Court had overturned the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission to 11 convicts involved in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the Gujarat riots in 2002.

In its plea, the Gujarat government argued that the court’s remarks describing its actions as “usurpation of power” and “abuse of discretion” were incorrect. The state claimed that a previous ruling by another bench of the Supreme Court, which deemed Gujarat the “appropriate government” to decide on remission, should not lead to adverse conclusions about its actions.

The state also objected to the extreme nature of the court’s statements, saying they were “highly unwarranted” and had prejudiced the state. They requested that the Supreme Court review its January 8 judgment.

The Supreme Court had previously criticized the Gujarat government, stating it had overstepped its authority by granting remission to the convicts without jurisdiction. It declared the orders of remission void, saying that the state had acted improperly in the absence of legal authority.

Bilkis Bano, who was pregnant at the time, was brutally raped during the communal riots, and her three-year-old daughter was among those killed. All 11 convicts were released on August 15, 2022, a move that sparked widespread outrage and criticism.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Human Rights

Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the plea seeking an extension of time to surrender, by 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case saying...

Human Rights

Three days before the scheduled day to surrender is due, the convicts of the Bilkis Bano case sought an extension of time citing ‘health...

Indian Muslims

The sole eyewitness in the Bilkis Bano case, who was just seven years old when a horrifying mob attack claimed 14 lives, has spoken...

India

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the Gujarat government’s decision allowing the early release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and...