The faculty and the staff of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-Bangalore) have written to the Chief Justice of India expressing their support and solidarity with Bilkis Bano after 11 men convicted of raping her in 2002 Gujrat riots were released under the remission policy on August 15. "Bilkis Bano, who survived to tell the tale, fought for justice for over seventeen years," the IIM Bangalore faculty said in the letter written in their "personal capacity."
Expressing shock and "anguish" over the Gujarat government's decision to release the 11 convicts, the signatories of the letter wrote, "We look to our legal system and courts to deliver on the promise we as a nation "have solemnly resolved", "to secure to all its citizens: justice, liberty, equality and fraternity." The horrors that Bilkis Bano underwent in 2002 should not be experienced by any woman anywhere."
"The crimes committed by the eleven men granted remission were no ordinary crimes," they wrote.
They said remission would "embolden perpetrators of such heinous crimes " and would also "extinguish the hope of millions of Indians who look up to the courts to deliver justice."
Quoting Bilkis Bano's statement after the convicts' release — "how can justice for any woman end like this?"— the 54 signatories of the letter urged the apex court to respond "most urgently" to Bilkis Bano's right to "to live without fear and in peace."
The letter comes on the day when the Supreme Court issued notice on pleas challenging the Gujarat government's order allowing the convicts to be released. The outgoing CJI, NV Ramana along with Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath, however, wondered whether there was a legal bar on granting remission to convicts. "The question is under Gujarat Rules, are the convicts entitled for remission or not?" Justice Rastogi said.
Justice Rastogi also asked, "Merely because the act was horrific, is that sufficient to say remission is wrong?"
The 11 convicts serving life sentences for murder and gangrape were set free from the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after their application for remission of the sentence was accepted by the Gujarat government. Their release was accepted on account of "good behavior" and compliance with jail rules, as per the panel set up by the government.
Also Read:Bilkis Bano Case: How 11 Convicts Serving Life Sentence Were Released
The 11 convicts included Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Vohania, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana. They were all held guilty by a court in 2008 of gang-raping Bilkis Bano in the Gujarat riots and killing seven members of her family, who were fleeing the raging violence in their locality.
"I trusted the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly to live with my trauma." Bano said after the release of the convicts. "The release of these convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my faith in justice. My sorrow and my wavering faith is not for myself alone but for every woman who is struggling for justice in courts," she said.