Bilkis Bano case: SC says state govts should not be selective in remission

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 17) told the Gujarat government that the state governments should not be selective in granting remission to convicts and the opportunity to reform and reintegrate with society should be given to every prisoner.

The Gujarat government defended its decision of premature release of all 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case during the 2002 riots.

The Supreme Court’s observation came in response to the submission by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju who appeared for the state government that law says a chance must be given to even hardened criminals to reform themselves.

The law officer submitted the crime committed by the 11 convicts was “heinous” but does not fall in the rarest of rare category.

“Therefore, they deserve the chance of reformation. A person may have committed the offence…Something may have gone wrong in a particular moment. Later, he can always realise the consequences. This can largely be determined from their conduct in jail, when released on parole, or on furlough. All these show they have realised what they had done is wrong. Law is not that everyone should be punished perpetually. Chance should be given for reformation,” Raju said.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan asked how far the law is being applied to other inmates in jail.

“Why are our jails overcrowded? Why is the policy of remission being applied selectively? Opportunity to reform and reintegrate must be given to every prisoner not only to few prisoners. But how far is remission policy being implemented where the convicts have completed 14 years? Is it being applied in all cases?” the bench asked Raju.

The ASG said that the remission policy varies from state to state and that all states will have to answer this question.

Commenting on the remission policy of states, the bench said the question is whether the policy of premature release is being implemented uniformly in all cases in respect of all those who have completed 14 years and are eligible for it.

“On the other hand, we have cases like Rudul Shah. Even though there was an acquittal, he continued to remain in prison. Extreme cases, both this side and that side,” the bench said.

Rudul Shah was arrested for his wife’s murder in 1953 and was in jail for many years, in spite of his acquittal by a sessions court in June 3, 1968. He was finally released in 1982.

The ASG submitted the opinion given by the CBI on remission of the sentence of the 11 convicts shows there was no application of mind.

The CBI had said the offence committed was “heinous, grave and serious” and hence the convicts “cannot be released prematurely and no leniency may be given” to them.

The hearing in the case will resume on August 24.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots.

(With PTI inputs)

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