Bilkis Bano Case: Today’s hearing of a number of petitions against the release of the 11 men found guilty of raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family during the Gujarat riots in 2002 has been postponed. The court announced the hearing will take place in the second week of July after the Centre and the Gujarat government confirmed they will provide the paperwork for the prisoners’ release. The bench announced that it would schedule the subject for May 9 so that it might be reheard when the court reopens after the summer break. Additionally, a new bench will be assembled to hear the case.
Centre and State Asked to submit the records in court
When asked to submit the records in court, the Centre and the state had previously stated that they were “privileged.” Additionally, they disclosed to the court that they were debating submitting a review petition in opposition to the order requiring them to turn over the pertinent files. The judges, however, had been severe. The bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna stressed the need for “objective criteria” by saying, “If you do not show your reasons for award of remission, then we shall draw our own conclusions.”
Shook the conscience of society
The Supreme Court had described the death of Bilkis Bano’s family and the gang rape as a “horrendous” conduct during a hearing in March. When granting remission to the 11 convicts, it had also questioned the Gujarati government about whether it applied the same standards that were used in other murder cases. Bilkis Bano petitioned the Supreme Court in November of last year to protest what she deemed the Gujarat government’s “premature” release of the 11 inmates. She had claimed in her appeal that the sentence’s commutation “shook the conscience of society.”
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