Bilkis Bano Case: SC Seeks Response From Centre, Gujarat Govt On Remission To Convicts

The Supreme Court on Monday (27 March) issued notice on several pleas challenging the decision of the Gujarat government to release 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

During the hearing, the SC bench comprising of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna questioned if the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case was done according to remission standards in other such cases and asked the Centre and the Gujarat government  to present all the relevant documents on the next date of hearing.

"We have before us many murder cases where convicts are languishing in jails without remission for years. Is this a case where standards have been applied uniformly as in other cases too?" asked Justice Joseph, who was part of the two-judge bench.

Responding to a claim that that the petitions were emotional pleas, the bench said during the hearing, "We are only on legal and law and nothing to do with emotions".

The bench was hearing several petitions that contested the Gujarat government's decision to release 11 men on Independence Day last year. In 2008, these men were found guilty of the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and the killing of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Bano herself is one of the petitioners while the other matters are in the nature public interest litigation (PIL).

The Court proceeded to issue notice in all pleas, including Bano's. The matter will be next heard on 18 April.