Bilkis Bano Case: Gujarat Govt Files Review Petition Urging SC to Expunge Harsh Comments

New Delhi: The Gujarat government has filed a review petition before the Supreme Court against the top court’s decision in the Bilkis Bano case seeking the expunging of the harsh comments against the state government in the decision. According to the petition filed by the Gujarat government, in its decision made on January 8, this year, the Supreme Court had commented saying, “Collusion between the state government and the accused.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government has approached the Apex court by filing a review petition in the Bilkis Bano case, urging for the removal of remarks deemed unfavourable to the state.

The state government has requested the SC to expunge its remarks suggesting that the state acted in tandem and was complicit with the convicts in the case.

SC had quashed remission grant to the 11 convicts on January 8

In its decision on January 8, 2024, the top court had annulled the remission the Gujarat government had granted to all 11 convicts in the 2002 post-Godhra riots gangrape case of Gujarat woman Bilkis Bano and had slammed the government for abusing its discretion.

Meanwhile, the state government, while calling the remarks unwarranted, has appealed to remove the remarks against the government from its records.

As per the review petition, the government stated, "It is humbly submitted that the extreme observation made by this Hon'ble Court that the State of Gujarat acted in tandem and was complicit with Respondent No.3 accused is not only highly unwarranted and against the record of the case but has caused serious prejudice to the Petitioner-State of Gujarat."

In furtherance to it, the government has also put justification in its actions during the incident, saying that the state government acted in accordance with the 2022 Supreme Court's mandamus, asserting that the charge of usurpation of power is incorrect.

The Supreme Court had 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, after the state government, in August 2022, granted remission to the 11 convicts, serving a life sentence, in accordance with its 1992 policy, citing their 'good conduct' during imprisonment. Following the SC’s direction, the convicts surrendered before the Godhra jail authorities on January 21.