Bilkis Bano case Updates: BJP's ‘anti-women’ policies exposed, says Priyanka Gandhi

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment quashing the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case and said the order will be implemented to provide justice to the victim.

Accusing the Gujarat government of abusing its power, the Supreme Court earlier in the day quashed the remission to the 11 men convicted of raping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members during the 2002 communal riots in the state and ordered that they be sent back to jail within two weeks.

On Monday, the Supreme Court set aside the Gujarat government’s decision to prematurely release eleven convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case. Opposition leaders, including the Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor and the AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, praised the judgement and slammed the BJP for allegedly facilitating the release of the convicts and “garlanding and welcoming” them.

“The tendency to 'kill justice' for electoral gains is dangerous for the democratic system. Today the Supreme Court's decision once again told the country who is the 'patron of criminals'. Bilkis Bano's tireless struggle is a symbol of the victory of justice against the arrogant BJP government,” said former Congress President Rahul Gandhi. AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra added that “the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed” after the SC’s judgement.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been vocal in his support of Bilkis Bano, said, “From Day 1, I have been saying that BJP, instead of standing with the victim, has always stood with the perpetrators who committed this heinous crime. [..] The same Gujarat Govt that could not protect her, gave an order to release these convicts who raped her and killed her child. It is the Union Government and the Home Ministry headed by Shri Amit Shah gave a letter on the basis of which these convicts were prematurely released and remission was given.” Owaisi demanded that the BJP government in the centre and in Gujarat apologise to Bilkis Bano.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday described the Supreme Court's order as "strong and bold" after it quashed the remission to 11 men convicted of gangraping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members during the 2002 riots.

All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.

"I am grateful to SC for taking this strong and bold judgement. It proves that the rapists were moving freely and enjoying power," she said at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and BRS MLC K Kavitha on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment quashing the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. Owaisi demanded that the BJP governments at the Centre and in Gujarat apologise to Bilkis Bano in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) senior leader Brinda Karat on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's order in the Bilkis Bano case, wherein the apex court cancelled an order passed by the Gujarat government to release 11 men convicted in the case.

We welcome the judgement of the Supreme Court because, at least, it does hold some hope for justice. Importantly, the comments of the Supreme Court also point to the capability of the central government and the Gujarat government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party: Brinda Karat

Here's how the case unfolded, from Gujarat 2002 to today. Read more

Ultimately justice has prevailed. The Supreme Court has canceled the release of the accused #BilkisBano who was gang-raped during the Gujarat riots. With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this order, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened. Congratulations to Bilkis Bano for continuing her fight bravely: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress leader

Here are some top quotes by the Supreme Court during today's ruling. Read here

"The Supreme Court judgement quashing the release of 11 rapists of #BilkisBano by Gujarat Govt exposes the BJP’s callous disregard for Women!

It is a slap on the face of those who facilitated the illegal release of these criminals and also those who garlanded the convicts and fed sweets to them, by bulldozing justice.

India will not allow administration of justice to be incumbent on the religion or the caste of the victim or the perpetrator of a crime": Pawan Khera

"Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Respect for #BilkisBano , a strong woman who never gave up her fight for justice. May your tribe increase": Priyanka Chaturvedi

“Supreme Court must act as a beacon in upholding the rule of law,” says Justice Nagarathna.

All convicts must surrender to jail authorities in two weeks, she adds.

“Gujarat usurped power of the Maharashtra government by not filing the review petition against the May 2022 judgment, and impressing on this court that Maharashtra was the appropriate government,” says Supreme Court.

The bench directs all 11 convicts to return to jail, and seek fresh remission from the Maharashtra government.

Their conviction was upheld by the Bombay high court in 2017. The case was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and trial was shifted from Gujarat to Maharashtra.

Supreme Court rules that the Gujarat government was not competent to grant remission to the convicts.

“It is not the Govt of the State where the offence took place or the offenders are imprisoned which is the appropriate govt for remission, but the Govt of the State where the conviction took places,” says Justice Nagarathna.

The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in Mumbai (Maharashtra) in 2008.

Bench assembles to pronounce verdict; holds that Bilkis' plea challenging remission of the convicts is ‘maintainable.’

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who represented the state, gave relief to convicts as per a 1992 remission policy. In 2014, however, the policy was by a law in 2014 which deters releases in cases of capital offence.

On this, the ASG said, the convicts were considered under the 1992 policy since they were convicted in 2008.

Earlier, at one point during the hearings, the bench noted how Gujarat is on ‘thin ice’ over the convicts' early release.

"Their death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment. How could they be released after serving 14 years in such a situation? Why are other prisoners not given the relief of release?" the court asked the state.

She was 21-years-old and five months pregnant and, along with her family, was fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out in the state on February 27, 2002. The riots broke out after the Sabarmati Express burning incident near the Godhra railway station.

Her daughter, who was three, was among seven family members killed by the mob.