Gujarat govt went out of the way to defend 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano rape case: AIDWA

Counterview Desk

The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), even as welcoming the Supreme Court order rejecting the remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano case, has said that has said that "normally remission is not granted in grievous offences."

Surprisingly, even during their 14 year conviction the convicts had repeatedly got parole during their conviction, with Bilkis Bano reporting how she was threatened with her life by the convicts whenever they were out on parole.

Text:

AIDWA welcomes the Supreme Court judgement which quashes the Gujarat government’s decision to allow premature release of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape which had happened during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The convicts had been released by the Gujarat Government after 14 years of imprisonment.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan held that the eleven convicts should go back to jail within two weeks and should continue to be in jail.

The Court reportedly said that according to law, the Gujarat government was not empowered to pass the remission order since the appropriate government entitled to pass orders of remission was the government of Maharashtra where the trial had taken place and the sentence had been pronounced.

The Court strongly criticized the convict Radhyesham, for playing a fraud upon the Supreme Court by suppressing material facts and getting a favourable order from the top court in May 2022 which eventually led to the release of all the eleven convicts. The Court stated that the Gujarat High Court had already dismissed the Petition of Radheshyam and said that only the Maharashtra Government could decide the plea on remission.

However, the said person had not appealed from this Judgement but instead hiding this fact had come to the Supreme Court in a Writ Petition under Article 32. Radheshyam had therefore played a fraud on the Court.

The Court also criticized the Gujarat government for not filing a review plea against the May 2022 judgement and instead being complicit and acting in tandem with the convicts and usurping the Maharashtra government’s Jurisdiction to grant remission to convicts.

Radheshyam had also apparently filed a remission application in Maharashtra and the presiding judge of the trial Court and DGP Maharashtra had given their opinion against it.

Several petitions had been filed against the outrageous remissions granted by the BJP Gujarat government in this heinous case of fang-rape during the Gujarat riots. It was also the opinion of legal scholars and others that the case was not a fit one for remission, as normally remission is not granted in such grievous offences. Surprisingly the convicts had repeatedly got parole during their conviction. Bilkis Bano had in fact reported how she was threatened with her life by the convicts whenever they were out on parole.

-- PK Sreemathi, President; Mariam Dhawale, General Secretary; Kirti Singh, Legal Advisor

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram* April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

The high price of unemployment: The human cost of the drug crisis in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi* Jammu and Kashmir is no longer merely at risk of a drug epidemic ; it is losing the fight. The statistics are staggering, with approximately 13.5 lakh people—nearly 8% of the total population—caught in the grip of substance abuse . In the ranking of Indian Union Territories , Jammu and Kashmir now sits at a grim top. We have officially reached a point where we can no longer speak in hypotheticals about a future crisis. The vocabulary has shifted from "if" to "if not addressed immediately."

Search This Blog