One of the convicts of the Bilkis Bano Case Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt was booked for outraging a woman’s modesty while out of parole in June 2020.
As per the annexure of the affidavit submitted by the Gujarat government to the Supreme Court, the trial in the case is still pending.
The new details are surprising as a few days ago Gujarat government told the Supreme Court that the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were released since they completed 14 years in prison and their behaviour was found to be good, and also the Centre approved their release.
In an affidavit, the state Home Department’s Under Secretary said: “I say that the state government considered all the opinions and decided to release 11 prisoners since they have completed 14 years and above in prisons and their behaviour was found to be good.”
SC lists hearing of pleas against release of convicts on November 29
Yesterday, the Supreme Court listed the hearing of the pleas against the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano Case on November 29.
The pleas were filed by the Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma and TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
The remission in this heinous case would be entirely against public interest and would shock the collective public conscience, as also be entirely against the interests of the victim (whose family has publicly made statements worrying for her safety), plea stated.
Gujarat government had granted remission to 11 convicts, who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
The convicts were released on August 15, 2022.
With inputs from ANI
