SC seeks action status in Bilkis Bano case

The Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from the Gujarat government if any departmental action was initiated against the police officers convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also allowed the gangrape survivor to file a fresh appeal seeking enhancement of the compensation earlier granted to her in the gangrape case that had taken place during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The gangrape survivor has sought grant of adequate compensation and initiation of departmental action against the errant police officers.

The court sought a report from the Gujarat government within four weeks on the departmental action against the guilty police officers.

It also asked the counsel for the rape survivor to file a separate appeal challenging a high court order on the issue of compensation.

The Bombay High Court had on May 4 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven people including policemen and doctors.

Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped in March, 2002, while she was pregnant, lost seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident.

Five policemen and two doctors, among others, were convicted for not performing their duties (sections 218) and tampering of evidence (section 201) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The convicted policemen and doctors are Narpat Singh, Idris Abdul Saiyed, Bikabhai Patel, Ramsingh Bhabhor, Sombhai Gori, Arun Kumar Prasad (doctor) and Sangeeta Kumar Prasad (doctor).

DH News Service