Now, Bilkis Bano wants death penalty for her rapists too

One of the 2002 Gujarat riots victims, Bilkis Bano, will appeal in the Supreme Court to give death penalty to her rapists too.

Ahmedabad, May 5: A day after the Supreme Court upheld death penalty for the four accused in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped during the 2002 Gujarat riots, wants death penalty for her rapists too.

"I am very happy to hear that the SC has upheld death sentence of the Delhi gangrape accused," she said. "I have complete faith in the judiciary and I am hopeful the SC will also give death sentence to the accused in my case....No woman should have to go through this ordeal (of rape)."

Her husband, Yakub Rasool, said, "While we are very happy that the Bombay High Court has upheld conviction of the accused, we will appeal in the SC to seek death penalty. We will soon meet our lawyer and decide about the appeal."

The Bombay High Court on Thursday ruled that no death sentence will be given to three out of 11 people convicted of raping Bilkis, 19-year-old pregnant woman, and murdering 14 of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra riots in 2002.

A mob had attacked Bilkis' family at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots on March 3, 2002.

Terming it as 'rarest of rare' case, the Central Bureau of Investigation had sought death penalty for three of the 11 convicts on the ground that they were the main perpetrators of the crime.

OneIndia News