Guwahati: The 11 convicts who had been condemned to life in jail for her gang rape and the 2002 Gujarat riots murder of seven of her family members were released, according to Bilkis Bano’s husband, who expressed surprise at the news on Tuesday.
According to PTI, Bano’s spouse Yakub Rasul stated that he did not desire to remark on the situation.
More than 20 years after the tragedy, Rasul claimed that he, his wife, and their five sons are still without a permanent home.
All 11 of the case’s convicts were released from the Godhra sub-jail on Monday after the Gujarat government approved it in accordance with its policy on remission.
In 2008, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai gave the case’s defendants a life sentence. They had been accused of killing seven members of Bano’s family and raping Bano in a group. The Bombay High Court later upheld their conviction.
Rasul stated that the media was how he learned about their release. We had no idea when they (convicts) submitted their applications or which judgement the state government considered, the man claimed. We were not informed of this and never received any kind of notice. We had no chance of being aware of this beforehand.
He further said that he had run out of things to say against the government’s choice.
“We don’t intend to say anything on this,” Bano’s spouse remarked. Only after learning the specifics can, I speak. All we want to do is pray for the eternal peace of the souls of our loved ones who died in the riots. We pay homage to those who perished in the incident every day, especially our daughter.
Rasul also claimed that, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order, the Gujarati government had given the family a compensation payment of Rs. 50 lakhs.
But as instructed by the Supreme Court, the government has not yet made any arrangements for a job or a residence, he added. Since we don’t yet have a permanent address, it is difficult for us to discuss where we live.
He claimed that the compensation money was going toward his boys’ schooling.
Meanwhile, the 11 convicts who were granted release are Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, and Ramesh Chandana.
In addition, Radheshyam Shah, whose request for early bail resulted in all 11 being released from custody, expressed his happiness at being freed.
He said, “The Gujarat administration has released us in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgement. I’m happy to be out because I get to see my family and start a new life. We were found guilty and imprisoned. I asked the Supreme Court for forgiveness when, after serving 14 years in prison, I was still not released. We were released after the Gujarat government was ordered to make a decision by the highest court.
In accordance with the Gujarat government’s policy of remission, they were freed on Monday after serving more than 15 years in prison.
It should be noted that on March 3, 2002, during the post-Gujarat riots, a mob attacked Bilkis Bano’s family in Randhikpur hamlet in Limkheda taluka of Dahod district. At the time of the gang rape, Bano was five months pregnant. Seven members of her family were also slaughtered in front of her.
After the fire of a Sabarmati Express train on February 27, 2002, which resulted in the deaths of 59 karsevaks, riots erupted in Gujarat.
1,044 persons, predominantly Muslims, had been killed by the violence in various regions of the state.