Shaken my faith in justice: Bilkis Bano after release of rape convicts

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New
Delhi,
Aug
18:
Bilkis
Bano,
a
survivor
of
the
2002
post-Godhra
riots
in
Gujarat,
has
said
the
premature
release
of
all
the
11
convicts
serving
life
sentence
in
a
case
related
to
her
and
seven
family
members,
has
shaken
her
faith
in
justice
and
left
her
numb.

She
has
appealed
to
the
Gujarat
government
to
”undo
this
harm” and
give
back
her
right
to
”live
without
fear
and
in
peace.”
The
11
convicts,
sentenced
to
life
imprisonment
in
the
2002
case
of
Bilkis
Bano’s
gang
rape
and
murder
of
her
seven
family
members
during
the
riots,
walked
out
of
the
Godhra
sub-jail
on
Monday
after
the
BJP
government
in
Gujarat
allowed
their
release
under
its
remission
policy.

‘I
am
still
numb’:
Bilkis
Bano
on
release
of
convicts

Criticising
the
move,
Bilkis
Bano
on
Wednesday
said
nobody
enquired
about
her
safety
and
well-being
before
taking
”such
a
big
and
unjust
decision.”
”On
August
15,
2022,
the
trauma
of
the
past
20
years
washed
over
me
again
when
I
heard
that
the
11
convicted
men
who
devastated
my
family
and
my
life
and
took
from
me
my
three-year-old
daughter
had
walked
free,”
she
said
in
a
statement
released
by
her
lawyer
Sobha.

”I
was
bereft
of
words.
I
am
still
numb,”
said
the
survivor
of
the
gang
rape
and
murder
of
her
family
members
in
one
of
the
worst
riots
triggered
by
the
Godhra
train
burning
incident.

Bilkis
Bano
said
all
she
can
say
is
”how
can
justice
for
any
woman
end
like
this?”
”I
trusted
the
highest
courts
in
our
land.
I
trusted
the
system,
and
I
was
learning
slowly
to
live
with
my
trauma.
The
release
of
these
convicts
has
taken
from
me
my
peace
and
shaken
my
faith
in
justice,”
she
said.

”My
sorrow
and
my
wavering
faith
is
not
for
myself
alone
but
for
every
woman
who
is
struggling
for
justice
in
courts,” she
said.

The
survivor
asked
the
state
government
to
ensure
her
safety
and
of
her
family
members
post
the
release
of
the
convicts.

”I
appeal
to
the
Gujarat
Government,
please
undo
this
harm.
Give
me
back
my
right
to
live
without
fear
and
in
peace.
Please
ensure
my
family
and
I
are
kept
safe,”
she
added.

The
Gujarat
government
had
released
all
the
11
convicts
after
the
Supreme
Court
directed
it
to
consider
their
plea
for
relief
under
the
1992
remission
policy.

A
special
CBI
court
in
Mumbai
had
on
January
21,
2008
sentenced
to
life
imprisonment
the
11
accused
in
the
case
for
murder
and
gang
rape.
Their
conviction
was
later
upheld
by
the
Bombay
High
Court.

These
convicts
served
more
than
15
years
in
prison,
after
which
one
of
them
had
approached
the
Supreme
Court
with
a
plea
for
his
premature
release.

‘Gap
in
your
words
and
deeds’:
Rahul
Gandhi
targets
PM
Modi
over
release
of
Bilkis
Bano
gangrape
convicts

The
apex
court
had
directed
the
Gujarat
government
to
look
into
the
issue
of
remission
of
his
sentence
as
per
its
1992
policy
on
the
basis
of
the
date
of
his
conviction.
Thereafter,
the
government
formed
a
committee
and
issued
an
order
allowing
premature
release
of
all
the
convicts
from
jail.

On
March
3,
2002,
Bilkis
Bano’s
family
was
attacked
by
a
mob
at
Randhikpur
village
in
Limkheda
taluka
of
Dahod
district.
Bilkis
Bano,
who
was
five
months
pregnant
at
the
time,
was
gang
raped
and
seven
members
of
her
family
were
killed
by
rioters.