After hearing that Bilkis Bano rapists were returning to their villages, Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra renewed her condemnation of the ‘Modi-Shah’ government for letting the beast out. In response to Govindbhai Akhambhai Nai’s assertion that Hindus do not commit rape, Mahua Moitra said, “So says Govind Nai, Bilkis’ convicted rapist & killer of innocents. This beast has been let out by ModiShah’s govt.”
Mahua Moitra is one of the petitioners who complained to the Supreme Court over the 11 convicts’ early release and return to their previous lives. The Supreme Court was told by the Gujarati government that the Union Home Ministry issued the release order. On November 29, a hearing will be held to address the petition against the remission. A women’s organization’s appeal against the remission will now be heard by the top court, which has consented to do so.
The Gujarat government defended the decision, citing the convicts’ good behaviour and the fact that they had served 14 years in prison, in the face of a nationwide outcry over the release of the Bilkis Bano rapists on August 15.
However, according to data from the Gujarat government, the 11 convicted individuals were released on parole for 998 to 1,576 days, which reduces their total sentence to almost 10 years. The Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court that one of the prisoners, Mitesh Chamanlal Bhatt, even received a charge-sheet in 2020 while he was on parole for outraging a woman’s modesty.
Her three-year-old daughter and other family members were killed as Bilkis Bano fled the Godhra riots and was subsequently gangraped. Bilkis was five-month pregnant. A life sentence was given to each of the 11 men who were found guilty in the case.
Govindbhai Akhambhai Nai told NDTV that the prisoners are now relocating to their villages “We are innocent. Have you ever witnessed an uncle and a nephew rape a victim in public? Does this happens in Hindu community? Hindus don’t do that, though.”