The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider listing a plea challenging the grant of remission by the Gujarat government to 11 life convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case.
The remission and consequent release of 11 convicts on August 15 this year from Godhra sub-jail under the Gujarat government's remission policy has sparked a debate on the issue of such relief in heinous cases.
Here is a complete timeline of the trial:
It was the first Gujarat riot case to be transferred out of the state by the Supreme Court. A special court in Mumbai conducted the trial and convicted 11 men of gang rape and murder in 2008. Fourteen years later in April this year, one convict Radheshyam Shah applied for a remission of their sentence.
May 13, 2022: The Supreme Court ruled that the remission plea of the convicts be decided in Gujarat under the state’s 1992 policy, which states that the inspector general of prisons should take the opinion of a jail advisory committee
May 26, 2022: First meeting of the Jail advisory committee held
June 04: Godhra Jail superintendent submits report to the Ahmedabad Jail authority
June 09: The Ahmedabad Jail authority forwards the report of the release of all convicts to the Gujarat home department. The report was prepared by Jail Advisory Committee and submitted by the Godhra Jail superintendent
June 14: The Gujarat home department seeks legal opinion from the state government’s legal department
June 21: The Gujarat government legal department gives an opinion to release 11 convicts
July 12: Home department sends a proposal to release 11 convicts to the Gujarat government
August 10: The Gujarat Government orders the release of 11 convicts.
August 15: The convicts submit a bond on the morning before their release
Jail Advisory Committee
Comprises 10 members, headed by Sujal Mayatra, district collector of Panchmahal, where 11 convicts were lodged in Godhra jail. The other nine members are two BJP MLAs, CK Raulji from Godhra and Suman Chauhan from Kalol, three social workers, the remaining four members are the Panchmahal SP, the Godhra jail SP, the district social welfare officer and the sessions judge of Godhra court.
(With PTI Inputs)
Source: Gujarat home department