SC admits Bilkis plea for transfer of case trial

The Supreme Court today fixed a date for the hearing of a petition filed by Bilkis Yaqub Rasool, who was gangraped by a mob during the post-Godhra riots. Bilkis served her petition to transfer the trial of the case outside the state, on the Gujarat government, the CBI and the accused. A bench headed by Justice Ruma Pal fixed July 26 for further hearing on the petition.

The petitioner had earlier alleged harassment at the hands of the local police, before the SC. The probe into the case was then handed over to the CBI, which recently filed a chargesheet against 20 people, including six police officials of the state.

Bilkis has sought the transfer of the trial outside the state — as was done in the Best Bakery case — claiming witnesses were being threatened and that the atmosphere was not conducive for a fair trial.

Supporting Bilkis, the CBI said on Monday that the complicity of state police officials in the crime has come to the fore during its investigation. ‘‘Bodies disappeared, heads chopped off and the complicity of police officials has come to the notice of the investigating agency,’’ Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati said.