New Delhi : In the year 2002, riots broke out after the Godhra carnage in Gujarat. The rioters entered the house of social worker Bilkis Bano. Bilkis Bano’s family lived in Randhikapur village of Dahod district of Gujarat at that time. When 20 to 30 rioters entered the house, Bilkis hid in a nearby field along with her family members. At that time his age was 21 years. At that time she was five months pregnant. At that time the rioters sexually assaulted four other women including Bilkis Bano and her mother and killed seven family members including a three-month-old girl and mother. Today it has been 21 years since this incident and since then till today Bilkis Bano is suffering the pain of havoc. Let’s know…
what is the matter
According to media reports, during the riots in Gujarat in the year 2002, many Muslims wanted to leave their homes and run away to avoid the riots. Bilkis Bano and her family were also included in these people. Bilkis Bano is a resident of Randhikpur village in Dahod district of Gujarat. There were 15 members in his family, including a three-year-old daughter, who were trying to move to a safer place. Bilkis was also five months pregnant at the time of 2002 riots.
According to the charge sheet filed in this case, on March 3, 2002, when Bilkis Bano along with her family and several other families reached Chapparbad village in search of a safe place, they were attacked by 20-30 people. The attackers started beating them with sticks and chains. Seven people of Bilkis’s family were killed in this attack. Bilkis’s three-year-old daughter was also included in the dead. Not only this, the attackers carried out the incident of gang sexual harassment of four women including Bilkis Bano and her mother. During this, six members of Bilkis Bano’s family also went missing who could never be traced.
The accused were arrested in 2004
According to media reports, Bilkis Bano received many threats in this matter. He had to change houses several times. The post mortem report was changed, but he continued his fight for justice. In the year 2004, the accused involved in the gang rape were arrested. When this matter came into the hands of the CBI, the investigation was started again.
Life imprisonment to 11 convicts in 2008
On 21 January 2008, a special CBI court sentenced 11 convicts to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis’s family. The Bombay High Court also upheld the decisions of the special CBI court.
11 convicts released on August 15, 2022
The culprits of the murder of Bilkis Bano and her family spent about 15 years in jail. On August 15, 2022, 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were released. The petition filed against the release of the convicts is being heard in the Supreme Court.
Petition in Supreme Court on November 30, 2022
After the release of 11 convicts on the orders of the Gujarat High Court, Bilkis Bano filed a petition on November 30, 2022, knocking the door of the Supreme Court against it. Bilkis Bano had filed two petitions in the Supreme Court. In the first petition, opposing the decision of the release of 11 convicts, there was a demand to send them back to jail. At the same time, in the second petition, objection was raised on the Gujarat government’s decision on the release of the culprits.
Supreme Court to hear today against the release of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case
the crime of the guilty is appalling
The Supreme Court had said in its remarks during the hearing on March 27, 2023, ‘The crime committed by the convicts is horrific, it will not be overwhelmed by emotions.’ The Supreme Court had asked the Additional Solicitor General whether he was consulted before giving the exemption. The court had also asked whether the Gujarat government can implement this kind of immunity policy when murder convicts are in jail for years? Along with this, the court also raised several questions regarding the criminal background of the released convicts.
