Bilkis Bano case: SC strikes down Gujarat government’s remission order of 11 convicts, demands their surrender

The Gujarat government’s order to remit 11 convicts who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and killed her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots was overturned by the Supreme Court on Monday. Judges BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan’s bench overturned the Gujarat government’s remission order, which had allowed convicts to be released early.

It asked all 11 convicts to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks.
The bench held that the Gujarat government was not competent to pass the remission orders but the Maharashtra government. It said the appropriate government to decide the remission was the state within whose territorial limits the accused are sentenced, not where the crime is committed or the accused are imprisoned.
The top court held that the judgement of May 13, 2022, by which another bench of the apex court had directed the Gujarat government to consider remission of convicts as per the 1992 policy, was obtained by “playing fraud” on the court and by suppressing material facts.

The bench declared that the Gujarat government had usurped the Maharashtra government’s authority in order to implement the May 13, 2022 ruling, which they considered to be a “nullity.” The bench stated that the convicts had not come before the court with clean hands and that the reason this court was being cheated on was because of the “suppression of facts” during the proceedings. Since the Gujarat government was not the proper government, the top court questioned why it had not submitted an application to have the May 13, 2022, order reviewed. The Supreme Court declared that this case was a classic example of how its order has been used to circumvent the law in order to grant remission.

Sagarika Gautam

Recent Posts

Hamas Yet To Respond To Gaza Ceasefire Deal Amid Continued Mediation Efforts

Talks for a Gaza ceasefire deal continue with Israel and Hamas, but Hamas' lack of…

2 minutes ago

Indira Gandhi Bhawan: A Fresh Start for Congress or Just Another Landmark?

After a prolonged wait, Congress finally inaugurated its long-awaited permanent headquarters on Wednesday, a significant…

10 minutes ago

SC Questions Punjab’s Claim on Farmer Leader Dallewal’s Health Amidst 49-Day Hunger Strike, Seeks AIIMS Opinion; Urges Swift Resolution to Farmers’ Demands

Expressing concerns over the deteriorating health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been…

19 minutes ago

Nearly 50,000 International Students Missing In Canada, India Tops The List, Raising Visa Concerns

Nearly 50,000 international students are missing from Canadian colleges and universities, with Indian nationals making…

25 minutes ago

Kharge jibes Bhagwat over his true independence comments, says if he continues to speak in this way it will tough for him to roam freely

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday slammed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's 'true Independence' remark, warning him…

27 minutes ago

Rahul stokes controversy while attacking RSS’s Bhagwat, says ‘We are fighting BJP, RSS, and the Indian state itself’

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stirred controversy after…

37 minutes ago