Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will consider today Bilkis Bano’s plea seeking a review of its order by which it had directed the Gujarat government to consider releasing one of the convicts based on the state’s 1992 remission policy. Bilkis was gang-raped by the convicts during the Godhra riots in Gujarat when she was 20 years and five months pregnant & the 1992 policy did not prohibit the remission of rape, gang rape or murder convicts.
Bano’s review plea will be heard in chambers by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath. Apart from the review, Bilkis had also challenged the release of 11 convicts who walked free on August 15, 2022, when the country was celebrating its 76th Independence Day which will also be heard by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi in open court.
On Monday, CJI DY Chandrachud led the bench had agreed to consider the early listing of her plea. “Review plea will come up. It’s a review it’ll come up before the bench but by circulation. I’ll have it placed early,” the CJI had said. The order against which Bilkis has sought review was delivered by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath on May 13 while hearing a plea by one of the convicts Radhey Shyam.
It has been argued in the review petition that Bilkis who is the victim was not even made a party in one of the convicts, RadheyShyam’s plea before the SC. With regards to the delay in filing the review petition, the plea says, “took enormous efforts and time for the present review petitioner- victim of one of the most gruesome and inhuman communal hate crimes this country has ever witnessed, to collect courage and regroup herself to decide to hold the baton once again, after just getting over with the extremely excruciating 17 years long drawn legal battle in ensuring that her culprits are punished for the egregious crime they had committed.”
Also in top court
Notice issued in plea on ED chief’s tenureThe SC issued a notice in a plea by Congress MP Jaya Thakur challenging the third extension granted to ED’s director Sanjay Kumar Mishra. It has been argued in the plea that the extension order is contrary to the verdict dated September 8, 2021 passed in a plea filed by common cause wherein a bench had directed not to extend Mishra’s tenure further.
Justice Dipankar Datta sworn in as SC judge Justice Dipankar Datta on Monday took oath as the SC judge which was administered by CJI DY Chandrachud. His elevation which was recommended by the SC collegium headed by former CJI UU Lalit on September 26 was notified by the Central Government on Sunday almost after three months. With his appointment, SC will have 28 judges out of the total sanctioned strength of 34.
Conversion: Lawyer asked to use moderationA SC bench hearing a petition against forced religious conversions on Monday asked the petitioner’s lawyer to consider moderating the averments made in the plea, after a senior advocate said “serious and vexatious” allegations have been made about followers of some religions that they were “perpetuating rape and murder”.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will consider today Bilkis Bano’s plea seeking a review of its order by which it had directed the Gujarat government to consider releasing one of the convicts based on the state’s 1992 remission policy. Bilkis was gang-raped by the convicts during the Godhra riots in Gujarat when she was 20 years and five months pregnant & the 1992 policy did not prohibit the remission of rape, gang rape or murder convicts.
Bano’s review plea will be heard in chambers by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath. Apart from the review, Bilkis had also challenged the release of 11 convicts who walked free on August 15, 2022, when the country was celebrating its 76th Independence Day which will also be heard by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi in open court.
On Monday, CJI DY Chandrachud led the bench had agreed to consider the early listing of her plea. “Review plea will come up. It’s a review it’ll come up before the bench but by circulation. I’ll have it placed early,” the CJI had said. The order against which Bilkis has sought review was delivered by the bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath on May 13 while hearing a plea by one of the convicts Radhey Shyam.
It has been argued in the review petition that Bilkis who is the victim was not even made a party in one of the convicts, RadheyShyam’s plea before the SC. With regards to the delay in filing the review petition, the plea says, “took enormous efforts and time for the present review petitioner- victim of one of the most gruesome and inhuman communal hate crimes this country has ever witnessed, to collect courage and regroup herself to decide to hold the baton once again, after just getting over with the extremely excruciating 17 years long drawn legal battle in ensuring that her culprits are punished for the egregious crime they had committed.”
Also in top court
Notice issued in plea on ED chief’s tenure
The SC issued a notice in a plea by Congress MP Jaya Thakur challenging the third extension granted to ED’s director Sanjay Kumar Mishra. It has been argued in the plea that the extension order is contrary to the verdict dated September 8, 2021 passed in a plea filed by common cause wherein a bench had directed not to extend Mishra’s tenure further.
Justice Dipankar Datta sworn in as SC judge
Justice Dipankar Datta on Monday took oath as the SC judge which was administered by CJI DY Chandrachud. His elevation which was recommended by the SC collegium headed by former CJI UU Lalit on September 26 was notified by the Central Government on Sunday almost after three months. With his appointment, SC will have 28 judges out of the total sanctioned strength of 34.
Conversion: Lawyer asked to use moderation
A SC bench hearing a petition against forced religious conversions on Monday asked the petitioner’s lawyer to consider moderating the averments made in the plea, after a senior advocate said “serious and vexatious” allegations have been made about followers of some religions that they were “perpetuating rape and murder”.
