Bombay high court admits CBI plea for 3 deaths

The Bombay high court today admitted a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking death penalty for three convicts sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members in the aftermath of the March 2002 Gujarat riots.

A division bench of justice N H Patil and justice Mridula Bhatkar were hearing a CBI appeal seeking enhancement of the sentence for Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai and Radheshyam Shah alias Lala Vakil. They were convicted to life imprisonment, along with eight others by a special court in Mumbai in January 2008.

The CBI’s plea stated their crime of multiple murders and rapes was planned and executed. The agency further stated that Govind had raped Bilkis in succession, despite her pleas that she be spared for the reason of her pregnancy.

“She (Bilkis) has specifically mentioned the role of the three in her evidence,” argued additional public prosecutor Poornima Kantharia, appearing for the CBI. No lawyer appeared for the three convicts.

“Prima facie, we are satisfied that the appeal deserves to be admitted,” observed the judges. The court will also be hearing bail applications filed by seven convicts next week. In their petition, the convicts have stated that there are “discrepancies in the evidence and they have a good chance of getting acquitted in the appeal.”

The statement given by Bilkis is not reliable and full of contradiction, says the application.