Felicitating convicts in Bilkis Bano case was in 'absolute bad taste', says judge who presided over
Mumbai, Aug 23: Granting remission of sentence is within the government's powers but the 'felicitation' of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case by some people was distasteful, the judge who convicted them 14 years ago said here on Tuesday.
The Gujarat government's decision to release 11 convicts undergoing life sentence for the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 riots has led to outrage. Some unconfirmed reports also claimed that they were felicitated by local leaders upon release.
"I don't think I did anything special (in convicting them). My judgment was my duty," said retired judge U D Salvi at `Solidarity With Bilkis Bano', an event organized by `United Against Injustice and Discrimination'.
"The state has the right to grant remission. It's a power given to the state under law," Salvi said, adding that he can not comment on the decision to release the convicts prematurely as he had not seen the relevant reports and did not know what factors were considered.
"But their felicitation (by some people) was in absolute bad taste. The convicts themselves should not have accepted felicitation," Salvi said to a question by reporters.
Eleven convicts walked out of Godhra sub-jail after the Gujarat government allowed their release on August 15 this year.
The trial was shifted to Mumbai by the Supreme Court in 2004 after Bano claimed that she was receiving threats. A special court for CBI cases here, presided over by Salvi, sentenced the accused to life imprisonment on January 21, 2008.
Salvi also said that he wanted to read his judgment again as it had been long time ago, but "the judgment is not available."
The remission granted by the Gujarat government to the convicts has been challenged before the Supreme Court.
After violence erupted following the burning of a Sabarmati Express coach that killed 59 'karsevaks 'on February 27, 2002, Bilkis Bano, who was five months pregnant then, fled her village with her toddler daughter and 15 others.
On March 3, they took shelter in a field when a mob of 20-30 people attacked them. Bano was gang raped while seven members of her family were killed.
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Assam flood situation deteriorates, 16.50 lakh people affected in 29 districts
Guwahati (PTI): The flood situation in Assam further deteriorated with over 16.50 lakh population affected in 29 districts with the major rivers flowing above the danger level across the state on Thursday, an official bulletin said.
An alert has been sounded in Kamrup (Metro) district with the Brahmaputra, Digaru and Kollong rivers flowing above the red mark with vast tracts of land inundated.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas in Maligaon, Pandu Port and Temple Ghat areas in Guwahati Metropolitan area on Thursday to take stock of the situation.
Sarma chaired a meeting on the flood situation with all District Commissioners late on Wednesday night and directed them to be liberal in granting relief as per norms, complete all rehabilitation claims as per norms before August 15 and provide accurate information to the headquarters so that adequate relief can be ensured.
Cabinet ministers will also be camping in the flood-affected districts for the next three days from Thursday.
The death toll in this year's flood, landslide and storm has increased to 56 and three others are reported missing.
The severely affected flood districts are Barpeta, Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, East Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts.
Dhubri is the worst hit with over 2.23 lakh people suffering, followed by Darrang with nearly 1.84 lakh people and Lakhimpur with more than 1.66 lakh people reeling under flood waters. Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger marks at Nimatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri.
Its tributaries Subansiri at Badatighat, Burhi Dihing at Chenimari, Dikhou at Sivasagar, Disang at Nanglamuraghat, Dhansiri at Numaligarh, and Kopili at Kampur and Dharamtul are flowing above the danger levels.
The Barak river is flowing above the danger mark at AP Ghat, BP Ghat, Chota Bakra and Fuletrak, while its tributaries Dhaleswari at Gharmura, Katakhal at Matizuri and Kushiyara at Karimganj town and are also flowing above the danger marks.
