Hyderabad: Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to rescind the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case relating to Bilkis Bano gang-rape and murder of her kin during 2002 riots.
In a tweet, Rama Rao said, "Dear PM @narendramodi Ji, If you had really meant what you spoke about Respecting women, urge you to intervene & rescind the Gujarat Govt remission order releasing 11 Rapists Sir, it is nauseating to put it mildly & against MHA order. Need you to show sagacity to the Nation."
All the 11 life term convicts in the case were released as per the remission policy prevalent in Gujarat at the time of their conviction in 2008.
Visuals soon emerged of relatives greeting them with sweets and charan-sparsh, touching their feet for blessings, outside the Godhra jail.
"I feel glad to be out," Radheshyam Shah, the convict whose plea paved the way for the release, told news agency PTI, "I will be able to meet my family members and begin a new life."
The Minister for Industries and IT also asked the PM to make necessary amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) suitably so that no rapist can get a bail through judiciary.
"Sir, I also urge you to make necessary amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) & The Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) suitably so that no Rapist can get a bail through judiciary. Strong legislations are the only way to ensure Judiciary can deliver swiftly & perform at its best," he said in another tweet.
A gruesome crime
Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the violence that broke out in the aftermath of the Sabarmati Express train burning incident at Godhra in 2002. Seven members of her family were murdered.
The case in 2002 had led to outrage, after which the Supreme Court ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The accused were arrested in 2004. Trial began in Ahmedabad but was transferred to Mumbai after Bilkis Bano said witnesses could be harmed
The special CBI court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, convicted 11 men on charges of conspiring to rape a pregnant woman, murder and unlawful assembly under the Indian Penal Code.
In its 2018 order upholding the conviction of the accused persons, the High Court set aside the acquittal of those seven persons too.
Further, the Supreme Court in 2019 directed the Gujarat government to give Rs 50 lakh as compensation, a job, and a house to Bilkis Bano.
