Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra lashed out at the BJP-led Central government on Tuesday over the release of Bilkis Bano’s rape convicts. The Gujarat government had defended in the apex court its decision to release the convicts in accordance with the 1992 remission policy since they had completed more than 14 years in prison and their conduct was found to be good.
“Writ petition in Bilkis Bano case forced Gujarat government to place all documents on affidavit in court. Indians can see for first time how and who allowed 11 rapists and killers to walk free prematurely. Don’t need any locus standi to tell right from wrong. The CBI said NO, the CBI special judge said NO. And yet Centre said YES to wholesale “premature release” of all 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case,” the TMC leader tweeted.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had remarked that the Gujarat government’s reply to pleas challenging the remission granted to the 11 convicts was very bulky, wherein a series of judgments have been quoted but factual statements are missing.
The Gujarat home department said all the convicts had completed more than 14 years in prison under life imprisonment. It also clarified the convicts were not granted remission in consonance with the circular for grant of remission to prisoners as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.
The top court has granted time to the petitioners to file their response to the Gujarat government’s affidavit. On November 29, it will hear the pleas challenging the remission of sentence and release of convicts in the 2002 case also involving the murder of seven members of her family during the Gujarat riots.
