‘Bloodthirsty’ men raped Bilkis, killed 14 of her family, don’t deserve lenience, SC told

Gupta told the court, “Her mother and a cousin were gang-raped and murdered. Four minor brothers and sisters…her cousin’s two-day-old baby…aunts and uncles, other cousins were murdered.”

She said that of bodies that could be recovered, their heads and chests were found to have been smashed. Although there were 14 deaths, bodies of only seven could be recovered, as the place where the incident occurred was not protected, she said.

The counsel contended that the grievousness of the crime ought to be an important factor in deciding remission.

Gupta said that Bano “could name them…because they were from the locality” and “she knew them”. She “kept pleading to the attackers…but they showed her or her family no mercy”, Gipta said.

The counsel asked, “Are these people — the perpetrators who have been found guilty of committing these crimes — deserving of the leniency shown to them?”

The bench asked whether all 14 deaths had come on record. The counsel said the conviction records that there were 14 deaths and three cases of gang-rape.

The arguments remained inconclusive and will continue Tuesday.

Bilkis Bano was gang-raped and her three-year-old daughter was among 14 people killed by a mob on March 3, 2002, in Limkheda taluka of Gujarat’s Dahod district during the riots. Bilkis was pregnant at the time.

All 11 convicts in the case were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.