No relief to Bilkis Bano, SC rejects review petition against May 2022 ruling

The Supreme Court has rejected the review petition of Gujarat riot victim Bilkis Bano, seeking review of the May 2022 verdict.
 
Bilkis Bano, a gang rape survivor in the Gujarat riots, sought a reconsideration of the May 13 Supreme Court order. The Supreme Court had said that the rules made in 1992 would be applicable for the release of gang rape convicts. The judgement paved the way for the release of the 11 convicts.
 
According to the State’s Premature Release Policy of 1992, the ruling had allowed the Gujarat government to take this into account and release 11 convicts who were serving life sentences in her case.
On a convict’s petition, Justice Ajay Rastogi had ruled in May 2022 that Gujarat may consider releasing the defendants in the Bilkis Bano case in accordance with the 1992 release policy. Bilkis Bano has, however, stated in her petition that the entire trial of this heinous crime cannot be released before 28 years, per the state of Maharashtra’s release regulation, where the case was reviewed.