Release of rapist-murderers: 'Amit Shah must resign, rule of law severely compromised'

By Rosamma Thomas*
Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, Amita Buch, president of the Socialist Party (India), Gujarat, has said Union Home Minister Amit Shah must resign. She said there was now evidence in the public domain that the Union Home Ministry approved the remission granted to the 11 convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano in the 2002 communal riots. The convicts were released to celebrations and garlanded as sweets were distributed. The remission was announced on India’s Independence Day.

The Socialist Party (India) is led by well known Magsaysay award winning Gandhian scholar-activist Prof Sandeep Pandey.

“Does this government seek to empower rapists and murderers, even as it speaks of empowering women?” Buch asked. The fact that permission was granted by the Union Home Ministry despite dissent from judicial and administrative authorities shows that the Union Home Minister conducts the affairs of his ministry unrestrained by proper procedure. It is not settled in law that those sentenced to life imprisonment must be released after having served 14 years of their term, Socialist Party members explained.

The convicts were out on parole for a period ranging from 998 to 1576 days, and so it was clear that they had not served even 14 years in jail. Mitesh Bhatt, one of the 11 released in this case, has an FIR registered against him for an attempt to rape in 2020, during a period when he was out on parole. Ramesh Chandana and Radheyshyam Shah, also released in this case, have offences registered against them during the sentence. Ramesh Chandana, Rajubhai Soni and Jawant Nai, three of the convicts who have been granted this special favour of remission, were late in returning to jail after parole by 122, 197 and 75 days. Despite this, it was stated that they were released given their “good behaviour”.

The government owes the people of India an explanation of what it thinks is good behavior, Socialist Party members explained. A BJP member of the Gujarat legislative assembly, who was part of the committee offering remission to these convicts, had described them as “sanskari Brahmins”.

The rule of law has been severely compromised under the watch of Amit Shah as home minister, and it is time he stepped down, the Socialist party members said. Sandeep Pandey, vice-president of the party, was detained last month when he attempted to lead a march in Ahmedabad to express solidarity with Bilkis Bano, gang-raped in 2002 while aged 19 and pregnant with her second child.

Seven members of her family were killed during the riots of 2002. Among those sentenced in the case were policemen and doctors who attempted to cover up the crime. In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the Gujarat government to pay Bilkis Bano Rs 50 lakh in compensation, the highest compensation award to any survivor of rape in the country. Shobha Gupta, Bilkis Bano’s lawyer, had argued in an interview with Huffington Post India that the amount offered in compensation was inadequate.
Amita Buch wondered why there were no protests despite how blatantly the government appears to be supporting criminals. “We had thought initially that it was the Gujarat government that was responsible for the decision. Now we know that it is the Union government. There are no voices of protest – one explanation is fear."

She added, "While that is true, we wonder whether in Gujarat it is also because there is a general agreement with these lawless actions of the Union government. Such lawlessness will not stop at only Muslims. This fire will spread and consume us all in ever-expanding circles, if we do not act now and speak up; if we do not resist with all our might. This is no small mistake; this is a conspiracy against our nationhood. Amit Shah must go.”

---

*Freelance journalist

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Beyond the rhetoric: Gujarat’s 2047 promise and its hidden faultlines

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, I met a veteran Gujarat-based economist, the author of several books offering a critical evaluation of the state’s economy, poverty, and gender discrimination . Also present was a retired Gujarat-cadre bureaucrat with an economics background, known for his popularity in the cities and districts where he served during his heyday.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .

NHRC seeks action report on contaminated water outbreak in Ahmedabad

By A Representative The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi has issued notices to the Secretary of the Water Supply Department in Gandhinagar , the Ahmedabad District Collector and the Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad, seeking an action-taken report within four weeks on allegations of human rights violations arising from a major outbreak of waterborne diseases in Behrampura , Danilimda ward of Ahmedabad city.

Search This Blog