Bilkis Bano case: Gujarat govt files review petition in SC, wants 'adverse comments' dropped

The Gujarat government on February 13 filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking to expunge certain adverse remarks made against it in the Bilkis Bano case.

The plea wants the apex court to drop references like 'state acted in tandem with convicts', and 'state was complicit'.

The government said that it was merely acting on the Supreme Court's 2022 judgement which directed it to consider the remission application of one of the convicts.

It has said in its review petition that it was "bound to comply" since it was a party to the case.

In August 2022, the 11 convicts, serving a life sentence, were granted premature release from jail after the Gujarat government accepted their remission applications in accordance with its 1992 policy, citing their 'good conduct' during imprisonment.

The convicts hail from Singvad and Randhikpur villages under Singvad taluka of Dahod district neighbouring Panchmahal district, where Godhra is located.

The top court had on January 8 annulled the remission the Gujarat government had granted to the convicts while slamming the state for being "complicit" with an accused and abusing its discretion.

The SC then ordered the convicts, who were released from Godhra district jail on Independence Day in 2022 after being in prison for 14 years, to go back to jail within two weeks. They surrendered before Godhra jail authorities on January 21.

Quashing the remission order, the Supreme Court had ruled that the Gujarat government lacked jurisdiction to grant premature release to the convicts as the trial in the 2002 case had been held in Maharashtra.

(With PTI inputs)

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