Devendra Fadnavis refers to Bilkis Bano case, says wrong if accused are felicitated, welcomed

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 23 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were released following a Supreme Court order but it is wrong if a person accused of a crime is "felicitated".
Replying to a discussion in the Legislative Council on an incident in the Bhandara district where a 35-year-old woman was sexually assaulted allegedly by three people, Fadnavis said there was no reason to raise the Bilkis Bano issue in the House.
"The accused who were sentenced to 14-20 years prison, were released after an order from the Supreme Court. But welcoming the accused after their release is wrong. The accused is accused. No one should support them," Fadnavis said.
"The convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case of Gujarat were released following a Supreme Court Order, but it is wrong if a person accused of a crime is "felicitated" and there can be no justification for such an act," he added.
The Gujarat government released the 11 convicts, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, on August 15.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition challenging the remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana agreed to look into the matter after advocate Aparna Bhat mentioned the matter seeking an urgent listing on Wednesday.
The plea before the apex court was filed by member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, and social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma.
The plea sought setting aside of order granting remission to 11 convicts and directing their immediate re-arrest.