Bilkis Bano gang-rape case: HC upholds life term of 11 accused

Rejects CBI request for death to 3 convicts

The Bombay High Court on Thursday upheld the conviction and life sentence of 11 people accused of gang-raping Bilkis Bano, a 19-year-old pregnant woman, and brutally murdering 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

However, a division bench of the high court, comprising Justices Vijaya Kapse Tahilramani and Mridula Bhatkar, turned down the CBI’s appeal seeking death penalty for three of the convicts.

In 2008, 12 people were handed life sentences. One of the accused passed away in the interim. Besides, the court also convicted seven others, including five policemen and two doctors, who were earlier acquitted by the lower court.

They were found guilty under IPC Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen offender) and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record with intent to save person from punishment), and granted eight weeks to deposit a fine of Rs 20,000 each.

In 2016, the CBI had contended that it is one of the ‘rarest of rare’ cases and the life term awarded by a lower court to three of the prime accused — Govind Nai, Sailesh Bhat and Jaswant Nai — should be enhanced to death penalty.

Bilkis Yakub Rasool alias Bilkis Bano was among 17 people who were attacked by a mob on March 3, 2002, near Randhikpur village in Dahod district of Gujarat during the riots. Eight people were killed and six were reported missing. Only three — Bilkis and two family members — survived. She was raped and presumed dead.

The CBI has said that policemen connived with the convicts by “fudging documents and compromising the inquest panchnama (document)”.
DH News Service