India: Gujarat govt appeals to Supreme Court for removal of remarks in Bilkis Bano case
Supreme Court
The Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patelfiled a review plea in the Bilkis Bano case with the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The appeal asks the court to strike words that suggest the statewas involved with the prisoners in the Bilkis Bano case and requests the removal of any remarks deemed to be critical of the state.
On January 8, the highest court nullified the remission that the Gujarat government had granted to all 11 convicts involved in the gangrape of Gujarat woman Bilkis Bano during the 2002 post-Godhra riot case. The court criticised the state, accusing it of being "complicit" with an accused and abusing its discretion.
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The Gujarat government has appealed to the Supreme Court for removing the remarks from the records, citing them as unjustified and stressing the prejudice that these remarks have caused.
The review petition states, "It is humbly submitted that the extreme observation made by this Hon'ble Court that the State of Gujarat acted in tandem and was complicit with Respondent No. 3 accused is not only highly unwarranted and against the record of the case but has caused serious prejudice to the Petitioner-State of Gujarat."
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Furthermore, the Gujarati administration denied any seizure of authority, claiming that its actions were in accordance with the Supreme Court's mandate from 2022.
In August 2022, the 11 convicts, serving life sentences, were granted premature release from jail after the Gujarat government accepted their remission applications based on its 1992 policy, citing their 'good conduct' during imprisonment.
The Supreme Court then ordered the prisoners who had been freed from Godhra district jail on Independence Day in 2022 to report back to jail in two weeks.
On January 21, the convicts surrendered to Godhra jail authorities. The Supreme Court, in nullifying the remission order, declared that the Gujarat government lacked jurisdiction to grant premature release, citing that the trial for the 2002 case had taken place in Maharashtra.
(With inputs from agencies)