Bilkis Bano case: SC agrees to hear plea challenging remission order of releasing convicts

New Delhi, Aug 23: The remission order of releasing convicts in Bilkis Bano case has been challenged before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Advocate Aparna Bhat sought urgent listing of the case on Wednesday and the CJI NV Ramana has agreed to consider listing the matter.

On asking if they were granted remission by virtue of a Supreme Court order by the CJI, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that the apex court gave a discretion to the government to consider it. "The bench was of Justice Ajay Rastogi. We are challenging the remission, not the order of SC", Live Law quoted Sibal as saying.

The plea before the apex court was filed by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, and social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma.

Last week, the 11 convicts walked out of the Godhra sub-jail after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, sentenced the 11 accused to life imprisonment on the charge of gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano's family. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court.

The 11 convicts who were granted premature release are Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, and Ramesh Chandana.

The convicts were released under the Gujarat government's remission policy after they completed more than 15 years in jail.

On March 3, 2002, Bilkis Bano's family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village in Limkheda taluka of Dahod district during the post-Godhra riots. Bilkis, who was five months pregnant at that time, was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed.

The Supreme Court had in April 2019 directed the Gujarat government to give Rs 50 lakh compensation, a job and accommodation to Bilkis.