Bilkis Bano gangrape case: Bombay HC upholds conviction of 11 persons, dismisses CBI plea for death penalty

The Bombay High Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of 11 persons in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. However, it rejected the CBI's plea seeking death penalty for three accused.

A division bench of Justices V K Tahilramani and Mridula Bhatkar had last year reserved its judgement on the appeals filed by 11 persons convicted.

Setting aside the acquittal of six persons, including  doctors and policemen, the court convicted the accused for tampering of evidence.

A special court had on January 21, 2008 convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men for gangraping Bilkis and murdering seven of her family members in the aftermath of the Godhra riots.

The convicts later approached the HC and sought quashing of the trial court's order.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the HC seeking death sentence for three of the 11 convicts on the ground that they were the main perpetrators of the crime.

According to the prosecution, a mob had attacked Bilkis' family at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots on March 3, 2002 and killed seven members.