NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Gujarat government in a petition challenging the remission granted to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, directing to file a response on the petition.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said that the case will be heard after two weeks. He also asked the petitioners to make the 11 convicts party to the case.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo Member Subhashini Ali, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and one other petitioner have filed Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court against the release of the convicts by the Gujarat government.
Earlier today, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi “The government has made its stand clear (‘sarkar ne lakeer kheench li hai’) by keeping silent on the release of 11 people convicted of rape, comments expressing welcome-support for them on camera,”.
“But the women of the country have hope from the Constitution. The Constitution gives courage even to the woman standing in the last row to fight for justice. Give justice to Bilkis Bano,” she said.
The convicts were released of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. A special CBI court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, sentenced the 11 to life imprisonment on charges of gangrape and murder. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.