Supreme Court ensures justice prevails for Bilkis Bano and family

Judicial relief came after a long struggle for Bilkis.

Nearly 22 years after the brutal crime that befell her and her family, Bilkis saw the convicts imprisoned for life after being briefly released. | Photo Credit: AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH

On January 8, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling, a decision that undoubtedly brought relief to Bilkis Bano and her family. In the ruling, a two-judge bench nullified the previous order that allowed the early release of the 11 individuals sentenced to life imprisonment for the gangrape of Bilkis and the murder of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

At the age of 21, she and her family were fleeing their violence-ridden village when a mob raped her and killed seven family members. Due to the heinous nature of the crime, the incident garnered national attention, leading to a CBI inquiry directed by the Supreme Court in December of the following year. In January 2008, justice was served as a special court convicted 11 men, sentencing them to life imprisonment. Since then, the convicted individuals have appealed multiple times for early release on grounds of remission.

However, on Independence Day 2022, the 11 convicts were granted release in accordance with the Gujarat government’s remission policy valid at the time of the crime and conviction. Bilkis responded with a writ petition challenging the court’s order, expressing that the release had “shaken the conscience of society”.

The Supreme Court ultimately overturned the release order, stating that it was passed without proper “application of mind”. The apex court directed all convicts to surrender to jail authorities within two weeks. Given below is a curated list of stories that Frontline has covered over the years, providing details on the case, its tumultuous journey, legal obstacles, and more. 

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