11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in gang rape case released, Gujarat government gave apology
On March 3, 2002, the family of Bilkis Bano was attacked by a mob in Randhikpur village of Limkheda taluka of Dahod district during the post-Godhra riots.
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All 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape case after the Godhra incident in Gujarat were released from the Godhra sub-jail on Monday. The Gujarat government approved their release under its pardon policy.
The culprits gang-raped Bilkis Bano and killed 7 family members
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai sentenced 11 convicts to life imprisonment on January 21, 2008 for the gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano 's family. Later the Bombay High Court upheld his conviction. These convicts served more than 15 years of imprisonment, after which one of them approached the Supreme Court for their premature release.
Supreme Court had directed the Gujarat government to look into the pardon
Panchmahal commissioner Sujal Mytra told that the Supreme Court has directed the Gujarat government to look into the pardon on his sentence, after which the government constituted a committee. Mytra was the head of the committee. Maytra said, the committee constituted a few months ago unanimously decided in favor of pardoning all the 11 convicts in the case. The recommendation was sent to the state government and yesterday we got orders for his release.
Bilkis Bano was gang-raped after the Godhra incident
On March 3, 2002, the family of Bilkis Bano was attacked by a mob in Randhikpur village of Limkheda taluka of Dahod district during the post-Godhra riots. Bilkis Bano was five months pregnant at that time. She was gang-raped and seven members of her family were murdered. The court was told that six other members had fled the spot. The accused in this case were arrested in 2004.