Bilkis Bano case: Supreme Court directs Centre, Gujarat govt to 'bring papers on which convicts were freed'

In response to a petition filed by gang rape survivor Bilkis Bano, the Supreme Court gave notice to the Gujarat and the Centre governments on Monday. The development comes after the top court heared a batch of pleas challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, including the the killing of seven members of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. 

Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna's bench heard arguments from a number of political and civil rights groups as well as a writ petition submitted by Bano.

A bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna stated that there are several issues involved and that the matter has to be heard in detail when scheduling the matter for hearing on April 18.  Additionally, it instructed Gujarat's government to have the necessary documentation providing remission to the parties on hand for the hearing's next date.

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"We have a number of murder cases before us where the defendants are prisoners waiting for remission without years. Has the same standard been applied in this case as it has in previous cases? Justice KM Joseph, one of the two judges on the bench assembled to hear the case, was questioned.

Bano had moved the apex court on November 30 last year challenging the “premature” release of 11 lifers by the state government, saying it has “shaken the conscience of society”. Besides the plea challenging the release of the convicts, the gang-rape survivor had also filed a separate petition seeking a review of the apex court's May 13, 2022, order on a plea by a convict.

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(With agency inputs)

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• Bilkis Bano case
• Gujarat
• Supreme Court
• gang-rape
• gang-rape case
• gangrape