File Picture : ANI
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Centre and the Gujarat government on a plea challenging the remission granted to 11 life convicts in the case of Bilkis Bano’s gangrape and murder of her family members.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana issued notice to the Centre and the state government on the plea and asked the petitioners to implead those who have been granted remission as parties in the matter. The apex court also posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.
The Supreme Court was hearing three petitions challenging the release of 11 life convicts in the 2002 Gujarat riots Bilkis Bano gangrape case.
Supreme Court said, question is, under Gujarat rules, are the convicts entitled to remission or not? We’ve to see whether there was application of mind in this case while granting remission, SC says.
SC directs petitioners to make 11 convicts party in the case here. Earlier, the SC had agreed to consider listing a plea challenging the grant of remission by the Gujarat government to 11 life convicts .
The remission and consequent release of 11 convicts on August 15 this year from Godhra sub-jail under the Gujarat government’s remission policy has sparked a debate on the issue of such relief in heinous cases.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Hima Kohli and C T Ravikumar took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal and lawyer Aparna Bhat against the grant of remission to the convicts serving life imprisonment in the sensational post-Godhra riots case.
“We are only challenging the remission and not the Supreme Court order. The Supreme Court order is fine, My Lords. We are challenging the principles on the basis of which remission was granted,” Sibal said while seeking an urgent hearing of the plea.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has also filed a separate petition in the Supreme Court against the release of the convicts in the case alleging the remission “completely fails to bolster either social or human justice and does not constitute a valid exercise of the guided discretionary power of the State”.
Reacting to the SC move sending notice to Centre and Gujarat government Mahua tweeted
Supreme Court issues notice to Gujarat government on plea against remission to 11 life convicts in Bilkis Bano case
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 25, 2022
In another tweet the TMC MP wrote, Gujarat 11 convicted of “rarest of rare” crimes technically qualifying for death penalty. Life should mean life. Not wholesale remission without cogent reason. Not garlands and laddoos. Random delayed calculated tears by BJP’s nari shakti brigade don’t cut ice.
Gujarat 11 convicted of “rarest of rare” crimes technically qualifying for death penalty. Life should mean life. Not wholesale remission without cogent reason. Not garlands and laddoos.
Random delayed calculated tears by BJP’s nari shakti brigade don’t cut ice.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 25, 2022
