"Holds some hope for justice": Brinda Karat on SC's Bilkis Bano case verdict

The Supreme Court on Monday overturned the Gujarat government's remission to the 11 convicts in connection to the Bilkis Bano case of gang-rape and murder. Left leader Brinda Karat welcomed the SC's verdict and stated that the order "holds some hope for  justice."

"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... It was the Gujarat government that, according to the Supreme Court, accepted the documents, which the court has considered as fraud,"said the senior CPIM leader. 

Sharpening her attack, she asserted that it was the Union Home Ministry that "encouraged and okayed the petition." "The court has said that the petitioner did not come with clean hands... and yet, this is the petitioner who had full support of the Gujarat government and central government. In fact, it was the home ministry which encouraged and okayed the petition and reference made by the Gujarat government for the release of the convicts who had arguably one of the worst crime in the last two decades. So it is a welcome order," added Karat. 

The 11 convicts were released on August 15, 2022, utilizing an obsolete remission policy of the Gujarat government. In November 2022, Bilkis Bano submitted a petition challenging the premature release of the 11 convicts. 

Bilkis Bano was gang raped at the age of 21 and five months pregnant, several members of her family, including her toddler were killed in the Dahod district of Gujarat. The trial commenced in Ahmedabad, but due to Bilkis Bano's concerns about potential witness harm and evidence tampering, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai in August 2004. On January 21, 2008, a special court convicted and sentenced 11 men to life imprisonment for raping Bilkis and murdering seven of her family members. At the same time, seven others, including policemen and doctors, were acquitted. This decision was later upheld by the Bombay High Court.