Got justice today: Bilkis Bano's family on Supreme Court verdict
A family member of 2002 Gujarat riots gangrape survivor Bilkis Bano has hailed the Supreme Court verdict quashing the Gujarat government's 2022 order that granted remission to her 11 rapists. Her uncle, Abdul Razaq Mansuri, expressed satisfaction, saying the family received "justice today," PTI reported. The SC judgment on Monday also triggered a political war of words, with opposition leaders slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Gujarat government over their alleged "anti-women policies."
Why does this story matter?
Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped, and several family members, including her toddler daughter, were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Gujarat's government granted remission to the 11 convicts who walked free on 2022 Independence Day under an outdated policy, setting off a huge political controversy. The Supreme Court on Monday, however, set aside their remission and premature release and ordered the rapists to surrender before the concerned jail authorities within two weeks.
Bano's uncle reacts to Supreme Court decision
Mansuri, who is also a witness in the Bano case, told PTI, "I feel that we have received justice today." "These 11 convicts were handed the punishment by a Maharashtra court. The Gujarat government's decision to release them was wrong. That is why we challenged it in court," he said. Some of Bano's relatives burst firecrackers in Devgadh Baria town of Gujarat's Dahod district following the SC ruling.
Verdict exposed BJP's anti-women policies: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Meanwhile, opposition leaders hailed the Supreme Court verdict and slammed the BJP-led Gujarat government. In a post on X, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened." Manish Doshi, a Congress spokesperson, said, "The government (of Gujarat)...failed to ensure justice for the victim of such a heinous crime."
Owaisi attacks Modi after Bilkis Bano verdict
Reacting to the verdict, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I welcome this judgment and I hope it acts as a precedent against all rapists in the future," he said, per PTI. "When Narendra Modi talks about nari shakti (women empowerment), it is a hollow claim... BJP governments in Gujarat and Centre both helped in releasing these people—they should speak up and apologize to Bilkis Bano," Owaisi added.
Powers from Gujarat were involved in case: SP leader
Among other opposition leaders, Janata Dal (United) leader Neeraj Kumar also welcomed the top court's decision. "The honorable Supreme Court took the remission of convicts that were released on August 15 (Independence Day) seriously, and their decision is noteworthy," he said. The Samajwadi Party's spokesperson Ameeque Jamei targeted the BJP-led Gujarat government, saying, "Bilkis Bano didn't get justice; she has been fighting for decades regarding a rape case in which powers from the whole state were involved."
What does the SC order say?
The Supreme Court on Monday canceled the Gujarat government's order to grant remission and premature release to the 11 convicts in Bano's 2002 gangrape case. It also ruled Gujarat's administration was "not competent" to pass their release order. The court said the decision was up to the government of Maharashtra, where the rapists were sentenced. While terming the petition filed by Bano against their release as maintainable, it ordered the convicts to surrender in two weeks and return to jail.
