There are fears that by the time the Supreme Court gives its ruling on this issue, these men might be untraceable.
Syed Ali Mujtaba
THE 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case who were released on August 15 on remission by the Gujarat government are believed to have gone missing. The Supreme Court is likely to take up the case for hearing on Friday, September 9, after public outrage and pressure from social media.
A video report on the news portal ‘Mojo’ has gone viral that says all the 11 convicts are either missing or have gone underground.
According to the video, the reporters of the news portal visited the homes of the released convicts but found no sign of their presence at their addresses. Their family members and neighbours too feign ignorance when the reporters inquired about their whereabouts.
The report comes a day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two pleas challenging the release of the 11 men in the Bilkins Bano rape case involved in heinous crimes including gang-rape and mass murder. There are fears that by the time the apex court gives its ruling on this issue, these men might be untraceable.
However, Rishi Malhotra, the lawyer representing the 11 convicts told the media that “first of all these men are not released on bail. They are freed after facing 14 years of a life sentence for their alleged crime. They are very much at their homes and there is no need for them to go underground.”
The lawyer objected to the media portrayal of these men as “missing” and said, “They just don’t want to face the media.” He assured that if they are required to present at the court, they may be available.
The 11 men were serving life terms for the gang-rape of Ms. Bano and the murder of seven of her family members. They were released on 15 August 2022; the same day India observed its 75th Independence Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on that day proclaimed from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort that this day is celebrated as a national holiday by calling for an end to crimes against women. Yet on the same day, the 11 convicted rapists and murderers were not only freed but were also welcomed home with garlands and sweets by the activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an RSS affiliate, along with their relatives and friends.
There was disappointment and anguish over the decision to release the rapists and nearly 50 women’s rights groups and more than 80 activists and scholars have issued a joint statement last in this regard.
“It shames us that the day we should celebrate our freedoms and be proud of our independence, the women of India instead saw gang-rapists and mass murderers freed, as an act of state largesse,” they had said.
________________
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a Chennai-based journalist who can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
