Gujurat, August 16th,2022: All eleven life imprisonment convicts sentenced in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape case have been set free today from the Godhra sub-jail in Gujurat.
Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was sexually assaulted in a village near Ahemdabad in March 2002, during the anti-Muslim riots. Her three children were killed during the riots.
Her three-year old daughter Saleba was among the fourtneen killed in the riots.
The trial had offciially began in Gujarat but later shifted to Maharashtra as Bano received death threats from the accused.
In January 2008, the accused were imprisoned for rape and murder of Bano’s family.
Bilkis was awarded a compensation of Rs. 50 lakhs in 2019.
Earlier this year, one of the convicts had approached the Supreme Court with a plea for release.
The convicts were released from the Godhra sub-jail on Monday after a state government panel approved their plea to be released earlier and reduce their sentence.
Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Raj Kumar said that their application for remission was considered due to the “completion of 14 years in jail” and other factors such as “age, nature of the crime, behaviour in prison and so on” .
Upon their release, sweets were distributed all around by their friends and family and they were seen rejoicing and celebrating.
This judgement comes just a day after PM Modi’s Independence Day speech wherein he urged everyone to respect women and pledge not to insult them.
