Law Today on X: “BIG BREAKING: Supreme Court REVERSES the decision of the Gujarat Govt. to release the 11 men convicted earlier
India’s Supreme Court has overturned the Gujarat state government‘s decision to release 11 men convicted of gang-raping a pregnant Muslim woman, Bilkis Bano, during the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots. The men, part of a Hindu mob sentenced to life, were released in August 2022 after serving 14 years, following a decision by an advisory panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP. The Supreme Court deemed the Gujarat government “lacking in competency” and accused it of abusing discretionary powers in the release. The court ordered the men to return to prison within two weeks.
Bilkis Bano’s supporters celebrated the ruling, considering it a restoration of the rule of law. The case highlights challenges to women’s rights in India, where government data reveals a woman is raped every 17 minutes. The heinous crimes against Bano occurred during the 2002 religious riots, one of India’s worst, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, mainly of Muslims. In 2008, the attackers were sentenced to life, but their remission in 2022 triggered nationwide protests, with critics alleging political interference, misogyny, and religious bias in the release decision.
#JusticeForBilkis #RuleOfLawRestored #WomenRightsMatter #SupremeCourtVerdict #EndImpunity