Bilkis Bano Case | 'What Is Wrong With Garlanding A Family Member Who Comes Out Of Jail?' : Centre's Law Officer Asks During Supreme Court Hearing

"What is wrong with garlanding a family member who comes out of jail?", asked Additional Solicitor General of India SV Raju during the Bilkis Bano case hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing a petition filed by Bilkis Bano and a clutch of PILs challenging the decision taken by the Gujarat Government to grant remission to 11 convicts who were sentenced to life for gangrapes and murders of Bano's family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The law officer's comment came in response to the submission made by Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, who as appearing for a PIL petitioner, regarding the manner in which the convicts who were sentenced for heinous crimes were welcomed on their release before their sentence term.

"[Bilkis' rapists] have been garlanded & felicited. Statements been made that they are Brahmins & can't commit such crimes. There's denial that crime was committed", Jaising said.

"What is wrong with garlanding a family member who comes out of jail?", ASG asked. The Union of India is a respondent in the petitions as the case was investigated by the CBI.

Today, Advocate Shobha Gupta, counsel representing Bilkis, extensively argued that the Government did not consider the societal impact of prematurely releasing Bilkis Bano’s rapists, nor did it consider a host of other relevant factors that they were required to under law. She contended that the convicts did not show any repentance and have not even bothered to pay the fines they were asked to. Yesterday, Gupta had highlighted the diabolic nature of the crime, pointing out that the convicts had committed three gangrapes and murdered 14 persons including kids, amidst the 2002 riots and that the attack was motivated solely on account of the religion of the victims.