Bilkis Bano case: Activists, historians among 6,000 urge SC to revoke release of convicts

Over 6,000 people, including activists and historians, have urged the Supreme Court to revoke the early release of the 11 convicts in the Biklis Bano case.

Human rights activists, historians and bureaucrats among other eminent personalities have issued a statement urging the Supreme Court to revoke the early release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

Calling the early remission a 'grave miscarriage of justice', they demanded the revocation of the pre-mature release of the convicts.

The signatories included over 6,000 ordinary citizens, grassroots workers, human rights activists, eminent writers, historians, scholars, filmmakers, journalists and former bureaucrats among others.

Prominent groups including Saheli Women's Resource Centre, Gamana Mahila Samuha, Bebaak Collective, All India Progressive Women's Association were also part of the signatories.

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In a statement, they said, "It shames us that on the day we should celebrate our freedoms and be proud of our Independence, the women of India instead saw gang-rapists and mass murderers freed as an act of State largesse."

It added, "The remission of these sentences is not only immoral and unconscionable, but it also violates the State of Gujarat's own existing remission policy and the guidelines issued by the central government to states."