Bilkis Bano case: Two 2002 riots accused ‘threaten, assault witness’, IG orders inquiry

Sabera’s husband Ayub had met with an accident before 2002 and Radheshyam – who is a lawyer by profession – had filed a case. However, in the riots that broke out in 2002, Ayub was killed.

On June 19, Radheshyam had invited Sabera to settle old dues in connection with the accident case. When her daughter went to meet him, he allegedly started taking videos of her. When she resisted, he allegedly said that he will take such videos because he was a criminal. She then called her mother for help. Radheshyam was also joined by his brother Ashish Shah, who began verbally abusing the mother and daughter. When the mother intervened, Mitesh who lives nearby tried to drag the daughter inside his house, the application states.

The women started walking on the road towards their house as the men continued to follow them. Feroz – who owns a tea stall in the same area – saw the women, tried to intervene and stop the men, but they began thrashing him instead, he alleged. They tore his shirt and said that it is because of his testimonies that they had to serve jail terms and are not able to get parole.

The applicant stated that the entire episode was recorded in a CCTV camera on the streets. Feroz, Sabera and her daughter then approached Randhikpur police station where they submitted an application in this regard. However, no FIR was registered even after two days. The police allegedly recorded statements of both the sides and asked them to amicably resolve the matter through a settlement, the application stated. Feroz then approached the Range IG to take up the matter.

“An inquiry has been initiated in the case and we are looking into the allegations. We will speak to the applicant and based on the evidence, legal action will be taken. We are also checking CCTV footage,” Joisar said. According to the police, both the accused were first lodged at Nashik jail and later transferred to Godhra jail two years ago. They have been out on parole since June 18 on the grounds of a family member being unwell.

On March 2, 2002, five-months-pregnant Bilkis Bano was gangraped and 14 members of her family were killed in the riots. In 2003, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to look into the matter. In January 2004, the CBI had arrested all the accused named in the complaint by Bilkis. Four years later, in 2008, 13 people were convicted by the trial court of which 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment. The accused had appealed in the Bombay High Court against the judgement. Finally in May 2017, the HC upheld the life sentence of the 11 convicts, including Mitesh and Radheshyam.