The 11 persons convicted of multiple murders and gangrape of a pregnant Bilkis Bano in 2002 during the Gujarat riots walked free from Godhra subjail on August 15, 2022. They brutally killed her three-year-old daughter by smashing her head on the ground and six other persons on March 3, 2002. The story thereafter is one of great struggle to bring the guilty to book.
Keeping in mind the exigencies in disposal of batch of criminal appeals, the bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Hrishikesh Roy asked the AAG Garima Prasad of Uttar Pradesh that state government does not require any court orders pertaining to release of convicts.
The Supreme Court on Friday has refused to issue general directions to release undertrial prisoners due to COVID-19 stating that it is an issue to be considered by the Jurisdictional high courts.