SC begins hearing of appeals in Bilkis Bano case

The Supreme Court on Monday commenced the final hearing of a clutch of petitions challenging the decision of the Gujarat government granting remission to 11 convicts held guilty of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and murdering her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. Bano has also challenged the decision of the state to allow premature release of the 11 convicts.

A bench headed by Justice B V Nagarathna will resume the hearing on Tuesday. The counsel for the petitioners gave a background of the heinous offence committed against Bano and her family. The counsels also apprised the bench of the conviction of the 11 and the gruesome way Bano was gang-raped and her family members were killed.

The top court had in April cornered the Gujarat government over the reasons for premature release of the 11 life convicts in the case.