Devendra Fadnavis said, “It was wrong if a person accused of a crime is ‘felicitated’ and there can be no justification for such an act”.
Mumbai: The reception ( with garlands, sweets) accorded to the 11convicts of Bilkis Bano rape case after their release from prison has drawn harsh criticism from Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s deputy chief minister for Maharashtra. The Gujarat government used an outdated remission policy to release the men on Independence Day.
Mr. Fadnavis responded to a discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Council over an incident in the Bhandara area where a 35-year-old lady was allegedly sexually assaulted by three people, saying there was no justification for bringing up the Bilkis Bano case in the House.
“An accused is an accused and there can be no justification for their felicitation.The convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case of Gujarat were released following a Supreme Court Order. But it was wrong if a person accused of a crime is felicitated and there can be no justification for such an act,” Deputy CM Fadnavis said.
The advice was based on the 1992 remission policy of the Gujarati government.
According to the Union Home Ministry’s recommendations for a special remission policy, which were released in June, people who have been given life sentences or who have been found guilty of rape should not be eligible for remission under the policy.
The Supreme Court had given the state the authority to decide whether to provide remission after one of the prisoners had gone to the court and asked for it. A special court sentenced the 11 convicts to life in prison. Later, the Bombay High Court upheld the judgement.
During the Gujarat riots in March 2002 in Godhra, Bilkis Bano, who was five months pregnant was gang-raped. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members who were killed.
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