Gujarat High Court Grants 7-Day Parole to Convict in Bilkis Bano Case
The Gujarat High Court has granted seven days of parole to Radheshyam Shah, who is serving a life sentence in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape and murder case. Justice Sanjeev J. Thaker passed the order on Thursday, considering the financial difficulties faced by Shah’s family.
Shah’s lawyer, K.D. Parmar, told the court that his temporary release was necessary because of the family’s financial hardship. He said Shah wanted to assist his family with financial matters. After considering the report submitted by the prison authorities and the reasons stated in Mr. Shah’s application, the court granted the parole.
Under the order, Mr. Shah will be released for seven days on a personal bond of Rs 10,000. He will have to report to the nearest police station on the third and fifth days of his parole. After the stipulated period ends, he must immediately return and surrender to the prison authorities.
Radheshyam Shah is one of the 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano case. In 2008, a special court in Mumbai sentenced all 11 to life imprisonment. The Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court later upheld the sentences.
On August 15, 2022, the Gujarat government granted remission to the 11 convicts and released them. However, on January 8, 2024, the Supreme Court of India quashed the decision, stating that the Gujarat government did not have the authority to grant the remission. The court then ordered all 11 convicts to return to prison, and they surrendered.
During the 2002 Gujarat riots, five-month-pregnant Bilkis Bano was gang-raped. Seven members of her family were killed in the incident. After a prolonged legal battle, 11 people were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008.
Sources: The Indian Express, LiveLaw, Outlook
