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India's Supreme Court দিয়েছে a landmark ruling, ordering 11 men convicted of gang rape and murder during the 2002 Gujarat riots to return to prison. The decision, delivered in January 2024, overturned the controversial remission granted to them by the Gujarat state government in August 2022, which had allowed for their premature release after serving about 15 years of their life sentences.
The case dates back to the widespread communal violence that erupted in Gujarat in 2002. Bilkis Bano, who was five months pregnant at the time, was brutally gang-raped, and seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were murdered. After a long and arduous legal battle, the trial was moved out of Gujarat to ensure fairness, and in 2008, a special court in Mumbai convicted the 11 men. Their life sentences were later upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.
Controversy arose in August 2022 when the Gujarat government approved the convicts’ application for remission, sparking widespread public outrage and condemnation from human rights organizations. The men were greeted with sweets and garlands upon their release, an event that drew sharp criticism across the nation. Bilkis Bano challenged the decision, arguing that the Gujarat government was not the competent authority to grant remission, as the trial was held in Maharashtra. This long legal battle has been a focal point for justice advocates.
In its scathing verdict, the Supreme Court nullified the remission orders, calling them "stereotyped and cyclostyled" and stating they were passed "without application of mind." The court held that the Gujarat government had "usurped" the power of the Maharashtra government, which was the appropriate authority to decide on remission. The judges criticized the Gujarat government's actions, stating it acted in "complicity" with the convicts. The men were ordered to surrender to jail authorities within two weeks.
Rights groups and activists have hailed the verdict as a significant victory for justice and the rule of law. Bilkis Bano's lawyer noted the decision reaffirms the faith of survivors in the judicial system. The ruling sets a powerful precedent, reinforcing that heinous crimes cannot be absolved through political expediency and underscores the judiciary's role in upholding constitutional principles over administrative decisions.
