New Delhi, August 30: The Supreme Court is slated to resume hearing on Thursday in a batch of petitions challenging the remission granted to 11 convicts in the infamous case of gang rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 post-Godhra riots. The final hearing is underway before a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan in the matter against the release of convicts, including on the plea filed by Bilkis Bano herself. Opposition Meeting in Mumbai: No Decision on BSP’s Inclusion in INDIA Alliance Until Clarity on Whose Side Mayawati Is, Says NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar

On August 24, the top court had remarked that convicts, whose remission applications were considered by the Gujarat government pursuant to an earlier order of the top court, cannot argue that the remission orders setting them free cannot be challenged at all. In the earlier judgment, the Supreme Court had directed the Gujarat government to consider and decide the application for premature release within two months in terms of remission of 1992 policy of the state. Bilkis Bano Case: Remission to 11 Convicts Granted After Necessary Compliances, Gujarat Government Tells Supreme Court

The bench said that its earlier order was limited to the extent that the Gujarat government is the appropriate government to decide convicts' application for remission and remission order passed thereafter would fall under the category of 'administrative order.' The 11 men convicted in the case were released on August 15 last year, after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. The convicts had completed 15 years in jail.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2023 09:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).