Who is Bilkis Bano? All you need to know

The Gujarat government has decided to free the 11 men convicted of gang rape in the Bilkis Bano case, as well as multiple charges of murder. On instructions from the Gujarat administration, the 11 men sentenced to life in prison walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15. The release of the 11 convicts in the 2002 gang rapecase prompted widespread indignation among Gujarat's opposition parties, given the sensitive nature of the case. What you need to know about Bilkis Bano and what happened in 2002 is detailed here.

Who is Bilkis Bano?

Bilkis Bano was one of the numerous Muslimresidents of Gujarat who sought to flee the state during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bilkis Bano was attempting to flee her village in 2002, when violence in Gujarat was at an all-time high, with her baby daughter and 15 members of her family.

Bano, who was five monthspregnant at the time, was hiding in a field with several other family members and her three-year-old daughter on March 3 when they were attacked by a mob of 20-30 men with sickles, swords, and clubs.

Due to the awful nature of the crimeand the indignation that ensued, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation, and 11 of Bilkis Bano's assailants were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the heinous act.

Why did the Gujarat government release Bilkis Bano's rapists?

According to an official, the 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case years after the 2002 Gujarat riots had been in jail for almost 14 years but were prematurely freed by the Gujarat government under the remission program.

These inmates had served more than 15 years in prison when one of them petitioned the Supreme Court for their early release. Sujal Mayatra, the collector of Panchmahals, presided over the panel that investigated the inmates' premature release.

"A committee formed a few months back took a unanimous decision in favor of remission of all the 11 convicts in the case. The recommendation was sent to the state government, and yesterday we received the orders for their release,” Mayatra said, as per PTI reports.

Human rights lawyer Shamshad Pathan alleged on Monday night that a vast number of inmates who committed less serious crimes than those charged in the Bilkis case remain imprisoned with no chance of release.