Who is Bilkis Bano : When riots broke out in Gujarat in the year 2002, all the Muslims living there wanted to leave the state to avoid the riots. Bilkis Bano and his family were also included in these people. Bilkis Bano is a resident of a village named Randhikpur in Dahod district of Gujarat. Her family consisted of 15 members, including a three-year-old daughter, who were trying to move to a safer place. Bilkis was also five months pregnant at the time of the 2002 riots.
What happened to Bilkis Bano in the riots
According to the chargesheet filed in this case, on March 3, when Bilkis Bano along with his family and several other families reached Chhaparbad village in search of a safe place, 20-30 people attacked him. They started beating them with sticks and chains. Seven members of the Bilkis family were killed in the attack.
Not only this, Bilkis Bano and four women were physically raped. Bilkis’ mother was also raped. Bilkis’s three-year-old daughter was also among those killed. The Supreme Court ordered a CBI inquiry on this horrifying crime.
CBI probe in Bilkis rape case
In this case, Bilkis Bano received threats. He had to change houses several times. Postmortem report changed. But Bilkis continued to fight for justice. When the case came in the hands of the CBI, the investigation of the case started again. On 21 January 2008, a special CBI court sentenced the 11 convicts to life imprisonment for the gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis’s family. The Bombay High Court also upheld the decisions of the special CBI court. The culprits of the murder of Bilkis Bano and his family served nearly 15 years in prison.
Why Bilkis Bano is in discussion these days
In the same case, a convict serving life imprisonment in jail approached the Supreme Court for premature release. These 11 convicts were released on 15 August. These 11 convicts include Govind Nai, Radheshyam Shah, Vipin Chandra Joshi, Jaswant Nai, Kesharbhai Vohaniya, Shailesh Bhatt, Pradeep Modhadiya, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, Bakabhai Vohaniya and Ramesh Chandna. The matter has been in the news since his release and once again the name of Bilkis Bano has come into the limelight.
What does the law say on life imprisonment?
Under the law, if a convict is sentenced to life imprisonment, he has to serve a minimum of 14 years in jail, after which the guilty can seek pardon. Based on the review of the behavior of the convict and the nature of the offence, the government decides whether to release the guilty or continue the sentence. However, the provision of 14 years is applicable only to those convicted of mild offences. In serious cases, the convict has to complete the sentence of life imprisonment.
Expansion
Who is Bilkis Bano : When riots broke out in Gujarat in the year 2002, all the Muslims living there wanted to leave the state to avoid the riots. Bilkis Bano and his family were also included in these people. Bilkis Bano is a resident of a village named Randhikpur in Dahod district of Gujarat. Her family consisted of 15 members, including a three-year-old daughter, who were trying to move to a safer place. Bilkis was also five months pregnant at the time of the 2002 riots.
What happened to Bilkis Bano in the riots
According to the chargesheet filed in this case, on March 3, when Bilkis Bano along with his family and several other families reached Chhaparbad village in search of a safe place, 20-30 people attacked him. They started beating them with sticks and chains. Seven members of the Bilkis family were killed in the attack.
Not only this, Bilkis Bano and four women were physically raped. Bilkis’ mother was also raped. Bilkis’s three-year-old daughter was also among those killed. The Supreme Court ordered a CBI inquiry on this horrifying crime.
CBI probe in Bilkis rape case
In this case, Bilkis Bano received threats. He had to change houses several times. Postmortem report changed. But Bilkis continued to fight for justice. When the case came in the hands of the CBI, the investigation of the case started again. On 21 January 2008, a special CBI court sentenced the 11 convicts to life imprisonment for the gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis’s family. The Bombay High Court also upheld the decisions of the special CBI court. The culprits of the murder of Bilkis Bano and his family served nearly 15 years in prison.
Why Bilkis Bano is in discussion these days
