Supreme Court Sets Aside Remission Of 11 Convicts In Bilkis Bano Case; Asks Them To Surrender In Prison

In a much-awaited ruling, the Supreme Court on Monday, January 8, overturned the remission of the life sentences of eleven prisoners who had been convicted of several murders and gang rapes,

including the 2002 Gujarat communal riots and the murder of Bilkis Bano. Since the trial took place in the State of Maharashtra, the court ruled that the State of Gujarat was not the "appropriate government"

to decide on the matter of remission. The remission orders were ruled void since the Gujarat Government was determined to be incompetent. As a result, the court ordered the prisoners, who were granted an early release in August 2022,

to turn themselves up to the jail within a fortnight.