Godhra: 11 people convicted in the case of gang-rape and murder during the Godhra riots in Gujarat have been released from jail. The Gujarat government has released those involved in the Bilkis Banu gang-rape case.
In 2008, the Mumbai CBI court sentenced 11 people to life imprisonment. The charges include gang rape and killing of seven members of Bilquis Banu’s family. One of the accused had approached the Supreme Court demanding that he be released after completing 15 years in jail. The Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to take a decision on their release.
The government directed to form a committee chaired by Panchmahal Collector Sujal Mayra and submit a report regarding their release. The committee decided to release all of them and communicated the proposal to the government. With this, they were released from Godhra Sub Jail on Monday.
In March 2002, during the attack after the Godhra riots, Bilkis Banu, who was five months pregnant, was gang-raped and 7 members of the family were killed. Six other members of the family escaped. The accused were arrested in 2004 by the police who initially did not file a case. The Supreme Court moved the case from Ahmedabad to Mumbai following a complaint that there was a possibility of subverting the case. The Supreme Court had directed the state government to provide a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job and a house to Bilkis Banu.
English Summary: Bilkis Bano Case: All 11 Life Imprisonment Convicts Released