Eleven convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case, which started from jail under the amnesty policy of the Gujarat government, were welcomed with garlands at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad office.
All eleven convicts convicted in the 2002 post-Godhra Bilkis Bano gang-rape case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail when the Gujarat authorities allowed their release under their amnesty policy.
The 11 accused — Radheshyam Shah, Bakabhai Bhadania, Rajivhai Soni, Shaileshbhai Bhatt, Yashwant Chaturbhai Nai, Keshubhai Bhadania, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Govindbhai Nai, Mitesh Bhatt, Rameshbhai Chauhan, Pradeep Modhia — walked out of the penal complex on Monday.
On January 21, 2008, a unique CBI court in Mumbai sentenced eleven accused to life imprisonment for the gang rape and murder of seven contributors to Bilquis Bano’s family. The High Court of Bombay later convicted them.
These convicts served more than 15 years of imprisonment after which one of them appealed to the Supreme Court for his premature release.
The Supreme Court ordered the Gujarat authorities to appear on the issue of commutation of his sentence after which the government constituted a committee, said Panchmahal Collector Sujal Mayatra, who headed the panel.
