Bilkis Bano case: Supreme Court rejects convicts' pleas for extension to surrender

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The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed applications filed by convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, seeking an extension of time to surrender before jail authorities. The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, stated that the reasons provided by the convicts for seeking a postponement of surrender lacked merit.

"The reasons cited by applicants to seek postponement of surrender and report back to jail have no merit in as much as those reasons in no way prevent them from complying with our directions. Hence, the miscellaneous applications are dismissed. Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed," ruled the bench.

The deadline for the convicts to surrender is set to expire on January 21.

The 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case had approached the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time to surrender, citing health issues, caretaking responsibilities for aged parents, upcoming harvest activities, and other concerns.

The convicts had been granted remission by the Gujarat government in connection with the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. While initially sentenced to life imprisonment, they were released in August 2022 after serving 14 years of their sentence.

On January 8, the Supreme Court nullified the Gujarat government's order granting remission to the 11 convicts. The court quashed the remission order and directed the convicts to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks. The bench clarified that the Gujarat government did not have the authority to pass remission orders; it was the responsibility of the Maharashtra government.

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The court also criticized the convicts for not approaching the court with transparency and accused them of obtaining the previous judgment fraudulently. The earlier judgment, dated May 13, 2022, had directed the Gujarat government to consider remission for the convicts according to the 1992 policy.

Bilkis Bano, during the post-Godhra riots in March 2002, was gang-raped and left to die along with 14 family members, including her three-year-old daughter. She was five months pregnant when rioters attacked her family in Vadodara. (With inputs from ANI)