New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by 11 convicts in the case of gangrape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 riots in Gujarat seeking an extension of time to surrender.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the reasons cited by the convicts have no merits.

"We have heard senior counsel and counsel for the applicants and the counsel for the non-applicants also. The reasons cited by applicants to seek postponement of surrender and report back to jail have no merit inasmuch as those reasons in no way prevent them from complying with our directions. Hence the miscellaneous applications are dismissed," the bench said.

The top court on January 8 had quashed the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case, saying the orders were "stereotyped" and passed without application of mind.

It had asked the convicts to surrender before jail authorities by January 21.

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Mudigere: A 22-year-old young woman, Soujanya Poojary, who was upset over an apparently trivial issue, has allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at home in Devavrinda village of the taluk on Saturday evening.

On Saturday morning, Soujanya’s father Natesh Poojary handed her vegetables, instructed her to prepare curry using them and went out. When he returned home in the afternoon, however, he found that his daughter had not prepared the curry and scolded her. He also told her to get curry from a neighbour’s house and again went out.

Soujanya, after being treated harshly by her father, reportedly closed the door of the house and hanged herself to death inside.

Gonibeedu Police officers, who were informed of her death, have registered a case and are investigating.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)