All 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case surrendered at Godhra sub jail in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district, meeting the Supreme Court’s deadline. The convicts, including Bakabhai Vohania, Bipin Chandra Joshi, and others, reached the jail before the midnight deadline on January 21. The Supreme Court had, on January 8, annulled the remission granted by the Gujarat government to the convicts, criticizing the state for being “complicit” and abusing its discretion. The court ordered the convicts, who were released prematurely on Independence Day in 2022, to surrender within two weeks.
Bilkis Bano, 21 years old and five months pregnant at the time, was gang-raped during the communal riots following the Godhra train burning incident in February 2002. Her three-year-old daughter and seven family members were killed. In August 2022, the 11 convicts were granted premature release based on the Gujarat government’s acceptance of their remission applications under its 1992 policy. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the Gujarat government lacked jurisdiction to grant premature release, as the trial had taken place in Maharashtra. The convicts’ pleas for more time to surrender were rejected by the Supreme Court on Friday, citing insufficient merit in the reasons provided, including health issues, impending surgery, and family events.
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