What SC said on convicts' parole in Bilkis Bano case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday commented on the early release of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, saying that the Gujarat government should have considered the gravity of the offense before taking the decision, reported Times of India. "Apples cannot be compared with oranges, similarly massacre cannot be compared with single murder," the court reportedly said.
Why does this story matter?
Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when riots erupted in Gujarat following the burning of the Sabarmati Express train. On March 3, 2002, Bano and her family were attacked by a mob that raped her and slaughtered her family members in the Randhikpur hamlet near Ahmedabad. Over 1,000 people were reportedly killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Today it is Bano, tomorrow it can be anybody: SC
The bench, comprising Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna, questioned the government's decision, saying, "The question is whether government applied its mind, what material formed the basis of its decision." "Today it is this lady (Bano). Tomorrow, it can be you or me. There must be objective standards...If you (Gujarat government) don't give us a reason, we will draw our own conclusions," it added.
Next court hearing on May 2
Notably, the SC was hearing the pleas challenging the parole of the convicts, who were released in August 2022 after 15 years. Bano, among others, filed a petition against the decision in November 2022. Earlier on March 27, the court asked the state government whether uniform standards were followed while granting release to the convicts. The matter has now been listed for May 2.
