Bilkis Bano Case

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre, Gujarat government and others on a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 post-Godhra riots. Bano has challenged remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case. While posting the matter for hearing on April 18, a bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna said there is a gamut of issues involved and it needs to hear the matter in detail. The top court issued a notice to the Centre, the Gujarat government and the convicts. It also directed the Gujarat government to be ready with the relevant files granting remission to the parties on the next date of the hearing. During the hearing, the bench observed that it would not be overwhelmed by emotions in the case and would only go by the law. On January 4, a bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi took up the petition filed by Bano and other pleas. However, Justice Trivedi recused fro

Bano had also filed a review petition seeking a review of its earlier order by which it had asked the Gujarat government to consider the plea for the remission of one of the convicts

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to constitute a special bench to hear a plea by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots, against the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala assured Bano, represented through her lawyer Shobha Gupta, that the new bench will be formed. Gupta mentioned the matter for urgent hearing and said that a new bench needs to be constituted. "I will have a bench constituted. Will look at it this evening," the CJI said. Earlier, on January 24, the hearing on Bano's plea challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the gang-rape case by the Gujarat government could not be held in the top court as the judges concerned were hearing a matter related to passive euthanasia as part of a five-judge Constitution bench. Besides the plea challenging the release of the convicts, the gang-rape survivor had also filed a separate petition seeking

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said the Congress should be absolutely clear in its ideological stance in favour of an inclusive India and pointed out that party could have been more vocal on issues such as the Bilkis Bano outrage and murder in the name of cow vigilantism. Addressing the 85th plenary session of the party here, the former Union minister said the Congress should stand up for its foundational principles. "We should be absolutely clear in our ideological stance in favour of inclusive India. The tendency to downplay some positions or avoid taking a stand on some issues in order not to alienate what we assume to be the sentiments of the majority only plays into the BJP's hands," Tharoor said. "We must have the courage of our convictions. We could have been more vocal on the Bilkis Bano outrage, attacks on Christian churches, murder in the name of cow vigilantism, bulldozer demolition of Muslim homes and similar issues," he said. These are Indian citizen

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain submissions seeking early setting up of a fresh bench to hear Bilkis Bano's plea challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts by the Gujarat government in her gangrape case. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha was urged by lawyer Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bano, that another bench should be constituted to hear the case. "The writ (petition) will be listed. Please, do not keep mentioning the same thing again and again. It is very irritating," the CJI said. The lawyer said that though the petition was listed Tuesday, it was not taken up for hearing. "It will be listed. The review (plea) was also circulated yesterday," the CJI said. Meanwhile, Supreme Court judge Bela M Trivedi on Tuesday recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Bano. "List the matter before a bench in which one of us is not a member," the bench headed by Justice Rastogi ordered without specifying any reason for

Supreme Court judge Bela M Trivedi on Tuesday recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case by the state government. As soon as a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi sat for the day, Justice Rastogi announced his sister judge will not like to hear the case. "List the matter before a bench in which one of us is not a member," the bench headed by Justice Rastogi ordered without specifying any reason for the recusal of justice Trivedi. Advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bilkis Bano, said her only predicament is that winter vacation of the court is approaching and she wants the matter to be heard at an earlier date. The top court said that a new bench will be constituted and the matter will be taken up thereafter. Gupta told the bench that when the matter is taken up, she would like to press her applicatio

Known for fiery speeches, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday got emotional talking about Bilkis Bano while campaigning in Gujarat's Jamalpur

"I will stand and fight again, against what is wrong and for what is right," said Bilkis Bano, who has moved the Supreme Court challenging the remission and release of 11 convicts in the 2002 case related to her gangrape and murder of seven members of her family. Bano was 21 years old and five-month pregnant when she was gangraped while fleeing the 2002 Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed. In her two separate petitions, she has challenged the premature release of the convicts by the Gujarat government on August 15, saying it has "shaken the conscience of society". In a statement, issued on Thursday, she said, "The decision to once again stand up and knock on the doors of justice was not easy for me. For a long time, after the men who destroyed my entire family and my life were released, I was simply numb. I was paralysed with shock and with fear for my children, my daughters, and

Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family slaughtered during the 2002 Gujarat riots, Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case by the state government, saying their premature release has "shaken the conscience of society". Besides the plea challenging the release of the convicts, the gang-rape survivor has also filed a separate petition seeking a review of the apex court's May 13, 2022 order on a plea by a convict. The top court had asked the state government to consider the plea for premature release of the convicts in terms of its policy of July 9, 1992 about deciding a remission petition within a period of two months. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha was urged by the counsel for Bano that her two separate pleas, one challenging the remission and the other seeking a review of the apex court's direction, be listed for urgent hearing. The top court took note of t

The premature release of 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case has become part of political and electoral discourse in Gujarat in run-up to the next month's Assembly polls with the opposition Congress mentioning about the episode in its poll manifesto and vowing to ensure justice to the survivor. A section of observers and activists feels the 20-year-old issue and the latest development will help the opposition party in getting votes, while others believe it will leave no impact in the Assembly elections to be held in December 1 and 5. In its poll manifesto unveiled a few day ago, the Congress said it would revoke the remission granted by the state government to the 11 convicts, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case by a Mumbai court. Following the remission, these 11 men convicted in the case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15. Bilkis Bano was a resident of Randhikpur village of tribal-dominated Dahod district, which falls unde

The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a fresh plea moved by a women's organisation, challenging the remission of sentence and the release of convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, which also involves the killing of seven of her family members during the Gujarat riots. A bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and C T Ravikumar tagged the matter with the main petition and said it would be heard along with it. The top court was hearing a plea filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, challenging the remission of sentence and the release of convicts in the case. The court had, on October 18, said the Gujarat government's reply to petitions challenging the remission is very bulky, wherein a series of judgments have been quoted but factual statements are missing. It granted time to the petitioners to file their response to the Gujarat government's affidavit and said it will hear the matter on November 29. Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five-month pregnant when she was .

The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that one of the convicts in Bilkis Bano case was charge sheeted for outraging the modesty of a woman in 2020, while out on parole

The Supreme Court said that Gujarat government's response to petitions challenging the remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case is "very bulky", where a series of judgments have been cited

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear on November 29 the pleas challenging the remission of sentence and release of 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and murder of her seven family members during the Gujarat riots. A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and C T Ravikumar directed that the reply filed by the Gujarat government be made available to all parties. The petitioners have been given time to file their reply to the affidavit filed by the Gujarat government. "A counter has been filed by the Gujarat government. Let counter affidavit be made available to all counsels," the bench said. The Gujarat government on Monday had told the apex court that petitioners challenging the remission are nothing but an "interloper" and a "busybody". It had also said that since the investigation in the case was carried out by the CBI, it had obtained "suitable orders" for grant of remission of the convicts from the Centre. Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five-month pregnant

The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were released since they completed 14 years in prison and their behaviour was found to be good

Police have detained social activist Sandeep Pandey and three others ahead of a foot march planned on Monday to express solidarity with Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven of her family members murdered during the 2002 Gujarat riots, police said. Ramon Magsaysay award recipient Pandey and other activists were scheduled to participate in the foot march, titled 'Apologising to Bilkis Bano', planned to be taken out from her native village Randhikpur in neighbouring Dahod district on Monday under the banner of 'Hindu-Muslim Ekta Samiti'. The march was to conclude in Ahmedabad on October 4. "Sandeep Pandey and three others were detained from Godhra (in Panchmahal district) at around 10.30 pm on Sunday. They are still in detention," a B-division police station officer said. The Hindu-Muslim Ekta Samiti in a statement condemned the police action. It said the foot march was organised to apologise to Bilkis Bano, after the Gujarat government on August 15 this year released 11 convict

A group of social activists will take out a 'padyatra' (foot march) from Randhikpur in Dahod district of Gujarat to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to protest the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. The 11 were released from a jail in Godhra on August 15 after they were granted remission by the Gujarat government. The activists will march under the banner of 'Hindu Muslim Ekta Samiti' and cover the 180-kilometre distance between September 26 and October 4, with social activist Sandeep Pandey and MLA Jignesh Mevani set to participate along with 25 others, organising committee member Kalim Siddique said. The release of the convicts is a matter of shame in a country that is identified the world over for its spirituality and the values and virtues of Mahatma Gandhi, the group said in a release. "It is a shame that Gujarat, which produced a global stalwart like Mahatma Gandhi, is silent today on people who have committed heinous crimes," it added. There was need to speak out

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Rishi Malhotra on Tuesday said the Centre had given its consent as per rules for the premature release from jail of 11 men convicted in the 2002 case of riot survivor Bilkis Bano's gang-rape and murder of her family members. During a panel discussion on Mojo Story, a digital news platform, Malhotra, who represents these 11 convicts in the Supreme Court, where their release has been challenged, said the Centre had given its approval as per the Gujarat government's remission policy, under which they were set free after serving more than 15 years in jail. All of them were awarded life sentences by the trial court. "Yes, absolutely," replied Malhotra when the panel host asked him if the Centre had given its approval as mandated as per rules for remission of sentence. "Absolutely... (approval) taken under the section 435 of CrPC. Please record my statement. I am saying this with full responsibility that the Centre government concurrence as required under the

Jamaat-e Islami Hind has sought the President's intervention in reversing the decision of releasing the convicts to save the system of justice and governance from becoming paralysed an ineffective