Today, On 26th September, The Supreme Court dismissed the Gujarat government’s plea to review its previous decision on the Bilkis Bano case. In January, the court quashed the remission granted to 11 convicts involved in the 2002 gangrape and murder during the Gujarat riots, citing misuse of state discretion.
New Delhi: In a significant blow to the Gujarat government, the Supreme Court dismissed its petition seeking to remove allegations regarding its handling of the Bilkis Bano case. The case concerns the early release of 11 individuals convicted of raping Bilkis Bano during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The Court rejected Gujarat’s plea to strike out certain observations, asserting the state’s actions were aligned with the convicts. Despite the government’s claims of bias and misrepresentation, the Court upheld its remarks on systemic issues surrounding the riots and declined to alter its judgment.
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A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the Gujarat government’s request for an open court hearing of its review petition in the Bilkis Bano case.
The court stated,
“After thoroughly reviewing the petitions and the associated documents, we find no apparent error or merit that warrants reconsideration of the earlier order. Hence, the review petitions are dismissed.”
The Gujarat government claimed that the court’s January 8 judgment, which accused the state of “abuse of discretion,” contained errors, but this argument rejected.
Bilkis Bano, a survivor of the Gujarat riots, brutally attacked in 2002 when she was five months pregnant. She and her family were fleeing the violence that erupted after the Godhra train burning incident. Eleven men were convicted of rape and murder in 2008, and they were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Read Also: Eleven Convicts in Bilkis Bano Case Surrender Following Supreme Court Deadline
However, in 2022, the Gujarat government controversially granted remission, leading to the convicts’ early release.
The remission sparked widespread outrage, and the Supreme Court intervened, revoking the release in 2023, citing procedural violations and misuse of state discretion. The Gujarat government’s recent plea sought to challenge the critical remarks made by the court in its judgment, but the court stood firm, dismissing the plea and reaffirming its stance on the state’s actions.
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