Dr SQR Ilyas, National President of Welfare Party of India said,” the release of the eleven convicts, serving life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case from the 2002 Gujarat riots from the Godhra sub-jail, after the state government panel approved the application for remission of sentence, is shocking and shows how low the justice system is stooping in the country.
He said, these convicts were awarded life imprisonment by a special CBI court, in Mumbai in January 2008, on charges of gang-rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano’s family including her three year old child during the Gujarat Carnage, which sent shock waves in not just our country but in the entire world
He said, ” It is extremely shameful to see, the chronological events unfolding in the country, first the Supreme Court rejected Zakia Jafri’s plea challenging the SIT’s refusal to file a case against Narendra Modi, the then CM of Gujarat, for his alleged role in the anti-Muslim violence, then the arrests of Activist Teesta Setalvad and former DGP of Gujarat Shree Kumar and now the release of these 11convicts, speaks volumes on the deterioration of rule of law in the country and is likely to encourage crime against Muslim citizens, resulting in anarchy with impunity.
Dr Ilyas implored all justice loving citizens of the country, to stand in solidarity and raise the voice against the growing lawlessness in the country and to demand withdrawal of remission sentence and to put all the 11criminals behind bar and release of Teesta Setalvad, Shree Kumar and other warriors of truth and to ensure Justice prevails in 2002 Gujarat riots.