Justice Bela M. Trivedi, a judge on the Supreme Court, withdrew on Wednesday from hearing appeals contesting the early release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and killed her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
The matter was directed to be listed before the bench, of which Justice Trivedi is not a member, by a bench consisting of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M. Trivedi. Justice Rastogi stated that the court could not pass the order to link the PILs with the one filed by Bilkis Bano because Justice Trivedi had recused himself from the case.
“Since my sister (Justice Trivedi) wants to recuse, we cannot pass a tagging order. Now that the victim is here… we will take the victim’s matter as a lead matter… List before the bench wherein Justice Trivedi is not a member,” the bench said, adding that all the matters will be tagged when the bench in different combinations will sit.