Bilkis Bano case: SC says plea challenging 11 convicts` remission maintainable

The Supreme Court on Monday held Bilkis Bano's plea challenging the remission of 11 men who were convicted of raping her and killing her baby daughter as maintainable. According to the reports, the top court held that the Maharashtra government was the competent authority to decide on remission for 11 convicts and not the Gujarat government.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan pronounced the judgment. The bench reportedly stated that the Gujarat government was asked to consider remission by suppressing material facts and making misleading facts by the convicts. ADVERTISEMENT Bilkis Bano case | Supreme Court holds that the State, where an offender is tried and sentenced, is competent to decide the remission plea of convicts.

Supreme Court holds that the State of Gujarat was not competent to pass the remission orders of the convicts but the Maharashtra… The apex court also reversed the Gujarat government's decision of granting remission and the convicts will have to return to jail, stated reports. " Supreme Court holds that the State, where an offender is tried and sentenced, is competent to decide the remission plea of convicts," the court said according to ANI.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horrific 2002 communal riots that had gripped Gujarat after the Godhra train burning incident. Her three year old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots. The 11 men, who were convicted of raping her and murder, were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022 which sparked a controversy.

Bano, following the remission, filed a plea in the top court challenging the remission granted to the convicts..