Supreme Court Dismisses Gujarat’s Review Petition on Bilkis Bano Case

New Delhi, India – The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a review petition filed by the Gujarat government. The petition sought to remove certain remarks made against the state regarding the early release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

Supreme Court’s Decision

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan stated, “We are satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of the record or any merit in the review petitions, warranting reconsideration of the order impugned. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed.”

Gujarat Government’s Argument

The Gujarat government argued that the adverse remarks in the Supreme Court’s judgment had caused significant prejudice to the state. They claimed they were acting according to a Supreme Court directive from May 2022, which instructed them to consider the remission application of one of the convicts.

Background of the Case

On January 8, 2024, the Supreme Court struck down the Gujarat government’s order granting remission to 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. The court ruled that the Maharashtra government, not Gujarat, was the appropriate authority to decide on the remission.

Supreme Court’s Observations

The Supreme Court noted that the Gujarat government had “usurped” the powers of the Maharashtra government and acted in furtherance of a judgment dated May 13, 2022, which was obtained by “playing fraud” on the court and suppressing material facts.

Gujarat’s Review Plea

In its review plea, the Gujarat government objected to the Supreme Court’s observation that it had acted in tandem and was complicit with the convicts. The state argued that it was following the Supreme Court’s earlier directive and the remission policy of 1992, which was in place at the time of the convicts’ sentencing in 2008.

Incident Details

In March 2002, during the post-Godhra riots, Bilkis Bano was gang-raped and left to die along with 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter. She was five months pregnant at the time of the attack in Vadodara.

Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes the final decisions on important legal matters.

Gujarat -: Gujarat is a state in western India. It has its own government that makes decisions for the people living there.

Review Petition -: A review petition is a request to a court to look again at a decision it has made. It’s like asking for a second opinion.

Bilkis Bano Case -: Bilkis Bano is a woman who was a victim of violence during the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat. Her case is about getting justice for what happened to her.

Convicts -: Convicts are people who have been found guilty of a crime by a court.

Remission -: Remission means reducing the time someone has to spend in jail. It’s like letting them out early for good behavior or other reasons.

Godhra riots -: The Godhra riots were violent events that happened in Gujarat in 2002. Many people were hurt and some lost their lives.

Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is another state in India, located in the western part of the country. Its capital is Mumbai.