10 Bilkis case convicts ask Supreme Court for more time to surrender
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday a batch of applications filed by 10 of the 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case, seeking more time to surrender, days after the top court quashed their early release.
A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol agreed to take up the matter on Friday after one of the convicts pointed out that the deadline to surrender expires on Sunday. The court, however, said the bench that scrapped the remission on January 8 will need to be reconstituted.
“Since the bench has to be reconstituted, registry to seek orders from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for reconstitution of bench as the time (to surrender) expires on Sunday,” the bench said.
On January 8, a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan of the top court scrapped the remission granted to the 11 convicts in the case and directed them to surrender in two weeks. The bench said Gujarat usurped the power of Maharashtra, where the original trial of the convicts happened, to grant remission, and nullified a 2022 judgment by another bench of the top court, which had directed Gujarat to consider the remission applications of the 11 convicts, saying it was obtained by “playing fraud” on court.
Senior advocate V Chitambaresh, who appeared for convict Ramesh Rupabhai Chandana, sought an urgent hearing of the application since the deadline to surrender expires on Sunday. The counsels for the remaining eight convicts told the court that they too shall file similar applications during the course of the day, following which the court allowed all the applications to be listed together. Till Thursday evening, 10 of the 11 convicts had approached the top court in the matter.
Also Read: In Bilkis Bano order, the rule of law is upheld
All the 10 convicts sought more time to surrender, citing reasons such as meeting family responsibilities, care for aged parents, harvesting of winter crops and health conditions.
While one of the convicts, Govindbhai Nai, has sought an additional time of four weeks, the remaining nine – Chandana, Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt, Pradip Ramanlal Modhiya, Bipinchand Kaniyalal Joshi, Radheyshyam Bhagwandas Shah, Rajubhai Babulal Soni, Jaswantbhai Chaturbhai Nai, Kesharbhai Khimabhai Vohania and Shaileshbhai Chimanlal Bhatt – sought six more weeks.
“As the winter crops produced by the applicant are ready for harvesting and other processes, the applicant needs five to six weeks for such harvesting and other processes. to be completed,” Mitesh Bhatt said in his application filed on Wednesday night.
Another applicant, Chandana (58), said he has undergone angiography and is on medication for heart ailment. “In this condition to surrender within time directed by this court will be adverse not only to his mental health but will affect him physically severely,” he said.
Relief on similar grounds was also sought by Joshi, who said he has undergone a leg surgery, resulting in partial handicap, and Modhiya, who underwent a lung surgery.
Also Read: Govt will consider SC remarks if Bilkis Bano convicts apply for remission, hint Maharashtra officials
Some convicts said their children are of marriageable age and if additional time is granted, they will be in a position to discharge this responsibility. Most convicts said they earn a living through agriculture and that their crops are ready for harvest. Stating that they were the only male dependent members, the petitioners sought additional time to make financial arrangements for their families. The applicants also told the court that their parents were growing old and suffering from multiple age-related ailments, and sought time “to make viable arrangements” for them before surrendering.
Fifty-five-year-old Nai, in his application, said he is the only caretaker of his ailing 88-year old father and 75-year old mother. “The respondent (Nai) himself is an old man who is suffering from asthma and in really poor health…was recently operated upon and had to undergo an angiography,” the application said.
The convict has two children who are completely dependent on him for financial and other needs, it added.
All the 11 convicts are residents of Gujarat and said that since the grant of remission on August 15, 2022, they stayed with their family and during his period of release, have committed no offence.
Bakabhai Khimabai Vohania is the only convict who remains to move an application in this regard.
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