New Delhi : The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday the acquittal of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Earlier, the Supreme Court had heard this matter on 9 May 2023. However, during that day’s hearing one of the convicts remained absent in the court. The counsel for the convict, who remained absent in the court, told the court during the hearing on May 9 that his client has not yet received the formal notice from the court as he is not at home. On this, the court said that the petitioner should once again try to send the notice to the convict. The court cannot postpone the hearing of the case repeatedly due to non-receipt of notice to the convict. Now the next hearing will be on July 11. Earlier on May 2, the counsel for the convicts had said in the court that one of the convicts had not received the notice. After this, the court had fixed the date of May 9 for the hearing of the case.
Gujarat and central government reprimanded
During the last hearing of the case of the release of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, the court reprimanded the Center and the Gujarat government. Justice KM Joseph said that you do not want the bench to hear the matter. Justice Joseph said that you can win or lose the case, but do not forget your duty towards the court. After this, the Center and the Gujarat government agreed to present the files related to the release of the 11 convicts in the court.
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 the Bilkis Bano case, on March 3, 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.
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Had to change house many times
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. When this matter came into the hands of the CBI, the investigation was started again. 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. 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.
