The Supreme Court has agreed to list the petitions filed by three convicts in the Bilkis Bano case who are seeking more time to surrender. This move comes in response to the earlier cancellation of the order that granted them early release, and they were directed to surrender by January 22.
In their petitions, the convicts cited various reasons such as family weddings, dependent parents, and the ongoing harvest season for requesting an extension of the surrender deadline. The three men, namely Govindbhai Nai, Ramesh Chandana, and Mitesh Bhatt, are seeking additional weeks to comply with the surrender order.
Senior lawyer V Chitambaresh sought an early hearing for the petitions, stating that the three men had only three days left before the scheduled surrender date on January 21. Justice BV Nagarathna directed the registry to seek orders from Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to constitute a bench with Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan to hear the petitions on Friday.
In a landmark verdict on January 8, the Supreme Court canceled the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission to the 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano case. The case involves the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The court directed the convicts, released on Independence Day in 2022, to surrender by January 22.
Govindbhai Nai has requested an additional four weeks, citing his responsibilities as the sole caregiver for his 88-year-old bedridden father and 75-year-old mother, who are dependent on him. He also highlighted his responsibilities towards his two children and his recent surgery. Ramesh Chandana seeks time for his son’s wedding, while Mitesh Bhatt has cited the ongoing harvest season.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the petitions signifies a crucial legal development in the aftermath of the cancellation of the early release order for the Bilkis Bano case convicts.