Bilkis Bano case: Supreme Court quashes Gujarat government's remission order for all 11 convicts

The Supreme Court on Monday invalidated the Gujarat government's remission orders in the Bilkis Bano case, directing the return of all eleven convicts to jail. The court emphasized that Gujarat lacked the authority to issue remission orders, highlighting that the government within the jurisdiction of the trial and sentencing has the power to decide. The verdict criticized the Gujarat government for usurping the Maharashtra government's jurisdiction, as the trial was relocated outside the state. The convicts, guilty of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family during the 2002 riots, cannot remain out of jail after remission quashing, the court stated. The decision follows petitions challenging Gujarat's move, asserting that the convicts did not deserve leniency. Bilkis Bano, the victim, highlighted that remission was granted without considering the offence's severity. The court questioned the selective implementation of the remission policy and observed disparities in prisoner treatment. The convicts were released on August 15, 2022, prompting various petitions by social activists and politicians, including CPM leader Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra, seeking Supreme Court intervention against the remission.

बिलकिस बानो मामला: सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने सभी 11 दोषियों की सजा माफी के गुजरात सरकार के आदेश को रद्द कर दिया