Three convicts involved in the notorious Bilkis Bano gang rape case have approached the Supreme Court, requesting an extension of time to surrender before the jail authorities. The pleas were brought before the Top Court on Thursday and are scheduled to be heard on Friday (January 19).
The matter seeking an extension of time was presented before a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathana and Sanjay Karol. The bench directed the Registry to seek orders from Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to constitute a bench, including Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan, to hear the petitions on Friday.
The Supreme Court had previously on January 8, nullified the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, criticizing the orders as “stereotyped” and lacking proper consideration. The court had instructed the convicts to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks.
Following this directive, three convicts – Govindhbhai Nai, Ramesh Rupabhai Chandana, and Mitesh Chimanlal Bhat – have sought an extension of time to surrender. Nai has requested four weeks, citing ill health and domestic responsibilities, including caring for his bedridden father. Chandana and Bhat have sought six weeks, with Chandana mentioning his son’s impending marriage, and Bhat highlighting the pending harvest of his winter produce.
The convicts were released by the Gujarat government on August 15, 2022, citing good behavior. The decision sparked outrage, leading to the Supreme Court’s intervention. The Bilkis Bano case dates back to February 2002, when communal riots erupted in Gujarat after the burning of the Sabarmati train carrying ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra. Bilkis, who was five months pregnant at the time, fled her village with her family to seek refuge. In a brutal attack on March 3, 2002, Bilkis, her mother, and three other women were raped and assaulted, while her three-year-old daughter was killed by the mob. The surviving members filed a complaint at the Limkheda police station after Bilkis regained consciousness.
