Wrong if accused are 'felicitated', says Devendra Fadnavis on welcome given to Bilkis Bano case convicts
"The release has been done after a Supreme Court order. But it is wrong if any accused is felicitated and welcomed. An accused is an accused and there can be no justification for this (act),” said Devendra Fadnavis.
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Mumbai, August 24: The convicts in 2002 Bilkis Bano case of Gujarat were released following a Supreme Court order, but it was wrong if a person accused of crime is "felicitated" and there can be no justification for such an act, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“The accused have been freed after completing nearly 20 years...14 years in jail. The release has been done after a Supreme Court order. But it is wrong if any accused is felicitated and welcomed. An accused is an accused and there can be no justification for this (act),” said Fadnavis.
A special CBI court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, sentenced the 11 accused to life imprisonment on charge of gang rape and murder of 7 members of the family of Bilkis Bano, a riot survivor.
Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay HC. These convicts had served more than 15 years in jail after which one of them approached the SC with a plea for his premature release.
Responding to a discussion in Legislative Council on an incident in Bhandara district, where a 35-year-old woman was sexually allegedly assaulted by three people, he said there was no reason to raise the Bilkis Bano issue in the House.
On August 15, all the 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of Bilkis Bano's gang rape and murder of her seven family members during the 2002 communal riots walked out of the Godhra sub-jail after the BJP government in Gujarat allowed their premature release under its remission policy. They were welcomed with garlands following their release from jail.
Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay HC. These convicts had served more than 15 years in jail after which one of them approached the SC with a plea for his premature release.
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