In India, the Supreme Court has just annulled the release of 11 convicts who were serving life sentences for gang rapes and murders that occurred during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat. The regional government run by Hindu nationalists had shortened their sentence for good behavior.
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The 11 convicts were found guilty of one of the worst crimes that occurred during the anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat: the gang rapes and murders of an entire Muslim family, as well as the massacre of their babies in 2002. At the time, it is the current Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is at the head of the state of Gujarat.
One of the pregnant women raped, Bilkis Bano, survived and was able to testify to obtain this difficult conviction, says the RFI correspondent in New Delhi, Sébastien Farcis. She, and two of her children, are the only survivors. Seven of the 14 people murdered were members of his family, including his three-year-old daughter.
This decision was greeted with great joy in Randhikpur, the village of Bilkis Bano. “ We’ve fought so long said a trial witness on condition of anonymity at the time. “ The Supreme Court’s decision is what we expected. I thank them “.
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Narendra Modi is accused of having turned a blind eye to the riots. However, he was cleared in 2012, two years before his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took national power.
In August 2022, the regional government of Gujarat, held by the Hindu nationalists of the BJP, however considered that life prisoners could be released, thanks to their good behavior, after 14 years in prison. They were then given a hero’s welcome and a video widely shared online showed relatives and well-wishers welcoming them with sweets and garlands. We are just before the regional elections, and the BJP is sending a message to its Hindu electorate.
Their release sparked strong angry reactions across the country. This was especially true as it coincided with India’s Independence Day celebrations, during which Narendra Modi spoke about women’s safety.
This release was illegal, the Supreme Court now assures, because the Gujarat government does not have the authority to release them, given that the conviction was pronounced in another state, Maharashtra. The 11 convicts will have to return to prison within 15 days. The opposition Congress party welcomed the January 8 decision, saying it highlighted a “cruel disregard for women” on the part of the BJP.
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