Mahua Moitra reacts as Bilkis Bano case convict shares stage with BJP MP, MLA

Dahod BJP MP Jasvantsinh Bhabhor, his brother, Limkheda MLA Sailesh Bhabhor, had attended the launch of a group water supply scheme along with convict Shailesh Bhatt.

In a Tweet, Moitra wrote, “Bilkis Bano’s Rapist Shares Stage With Gujarat’s BJP MP, MLA. I want to see these monsters back in jail and the key thrown away. And I want this satanic government that applauds this travesty of justice voted out. I want India to reclaim her moral compass.”

MLA Jasvantsinh Bhabhor too had shared some images from the event where the convict Shailesh Bhatt was seen. “Jasvantsinh Bhabhor wrote, “At Limkheda taluka of Dahod district, Kadana dam bulk pipeline-based Limkheda group water supply scheme under the estimated amount of 101.89 crore works was laid. In which 43 villages of Limkheda taluka, 18 villages of Singhwad taluka and 3 villages of Jhalod taluka will benefit from this scheme,” Bhabhor had tweeted in Gujarati.

Earlier on 24 March, the Supreme Court had said that it will hear a batch of pleas challenging the premature release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. Bilkis Bano too had also filed a review petition asking for a reevaluation of the court’s prior order, which had instructed the Gujarat government to examine the request for the release of one of the convicts. Some PILs were filed seeking directions to revoke the remission granted to 11 convicts.

The 11 convicts, who had been serving life sentences, were released by the Gujarat government on August 15. They were released in accordance with the remission policy that was in effect in Gujarat at the time of their conviction in 2008.

The brutal incident took place in March 2002 during the post-Godhra riots when Bilkis Bano, who was five months pregnant at the time, was gang-raped, and her entire family, including her three-year-old daughter, was attacked by rioters in Vadodara.

The Gujarat government defended the remission provided to the convicts in its affidavit, stating that they had served 14 years in jail, and their conduct had been satisfactory. According to the government, it had evaluated the cases of all 11 convicts based on the 1992 policy, and they were granted remission on August 10, 2022. The Central government had also authorized the convicts’ premature release.

(With inputs from agencies)