'Undo This Harm' & 'Give Me Back My Right To Live Without Fear': Bilkis Bano After Release Of 11 Convicts

All the 11 accused sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2002 post-Godhra, Bilkis Bano gang rape and murder of her seven family members were released from the jail on Monday (August 15), Independence Day, under the Gujarat government's remission policy.

Welcomed With Sweets & Garlands

The convicts were welcomed by their relatives and family members outside the Godhra sub-jail. The 11 men were lined outside the jail while their relatives gave them sweets and touched their feet to show respect. A video of the same has since gone viral, reported Times Now.

A day after the accused walked out of jail, they were received with sweets and garlands on Wednesday (August 17) by the Vishwa Hindus Parishad (VHP) members at its office in Gujarat.

Several images of the same have emerged on social media where the convicts were seen wearing garlands and being greeted by VHP members.

Bilkis Bano's Response

Bano, in a late-night statement on Wednesday, called the government's decision to free the culprits "unjust" and said it had "shaken" her faith in the Indian judiciary, reported BBC.

She stated, "When I heard that the convicts who had devastated my family and life had walked free, I was bereft of words. I am still numb."

She added, "How can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my faith in justice."

She wrote to the Gujarat government and appealed to "undo this harm" and "give me back my right to live without fear and in peace".

The emancipation of the 11 men has also highlighted that their release violated guidelines issued by both the federal and Gujarat government; they state that rape ad murder convicts cannot be granted remission. In India, life sentences for such crimes are typically served until death.

What Is The Bilkis Bano Case?

After the Sabarmati Express coach was burned down on February 27, 2002, in which 59 'karsevaks' were killed, violence erupted in Godhra and entire Gujarat. Then five months pregnant, Bano fled her village with her toddler daughter and 15 others.

They took refuge in a field on March 3, where a mob of 20-30 people armed with swords, sickles and sticks attacked them. Pregnant Bano was gang raped, while her seven family members, including her daughter, were killed.

Given the outrage over the heinous incident, the Supreme Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, and the accused were apprehended in 2004. The special CBI court convicted the 11 men to life imprisonment on the charge of Bilkis Bano's gang rape and murder of seven members of her family.

Also Read: Bilkis Bano Case: All 11 Life Imprisonment Convicts Walk Out Of Godhra Jail Under Gujarat Remission Policy