“Unwarranted adverse remarks”: Gujarat petitions the Supreme Court in the Bilkis Bano case

In an attempt to have the verdict quashing the remission granted to the 11 convicts listed for gang-raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots reviewed, the Gujarat government has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, claiming that the court’s negative remarks have caused “serious prejudice” to the case.

According to the petition, Gujarat “acted in tandem and was complicit with the respondent,” an excessive observation that the court made that was not only unnecessary and against the case record, but also seriously prejudiced the state. On January 8, the Supreme Court invalidated the early release of the case’s prisoners, stating that the Gujarat Government lacked jurisdiction.