Bilkis Bano case: Bombay high court rejects bail pleas of convicts

Seven convicts in the infamous Bilkis Bano gang rape case of 2002 were denied bail by the Bombay high court on Thursday. The court observed that the offence was a serious one and so the accused could not be granted bail.

A division bench of justices NH Patil and MR Bhatkar observed: “Considering the seriousness and gravity of the case, the accused cannot be released on bail till the final disposal of their appeals against conviction.”

All seven accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court in 2008. Following that ruling they filed appeals. They all sought bail, pending disposal of the appeals. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought the death penalty for all the seven convicts in the case.

On March 3, 2002, Bilkis Bano’s family was attacked by a mob at Randhikpur village, about 250km from Ahmedabad, during the post-Godhra riots that erupted in the state.

Eight members of the family were killed. Bilkis was gang-raped, while six other members of her family went missing  after the incident.  The accused are facing murder and rape charges which are serious offences.