By D N Singh
The throwback to 2002 Godhra incident which had stunned the nation’s psyche, the wounds seem to have been scratched green again after the ‘remission’ granted to the 11 convicts for murder of 14 persons and gangrape of women, including Bilkis Bano, during 2002 post Godhra riots in Gujarat.
It was an incident that no nation can condone in any yardstick of conscience post a ghastly 2002 riot in Godhra.
What is worth the mention here that, more than 134 former civil servants have tried to stir the conscience of the nation by making a seven page letter to the Chief Justice of India, Justice U U Lalit, requesting the latter to quash the remission granted by the State and the premature release of the 11 accused.
The plea before the CJI by the former civil servants was a negation of the spirit of justice and it’s quashing forthwith is the only way out, the letter to the CJI contends.
Glaring Deviation
Describing the remission act by the state, the group of 134 former civil servants, dubbed it as “horrendously wrong” and a departure from the government policy and propriety.
By no way, the letter from the former civil servants is a mere moral nudge but for the CJI who was sworn in some hours back, it is a huge moral baggage to be dealt with in the days to come.
So their plea before the CJI points at a wide canvas of leniency maintained by the political executives for political convenience. Hence the only hope that the people can expect from the highest judicial authority, the CJI, to rescind the same order of remission and send back all the 11 convicts back to jail.
The seven page letter written by the Constitutional Conduct Group, also said that the act of remission the Gujarat government order was an “error” where a case had been probed by the CBI, and clearance of the Union government has to be taken prior to giving remission in the sentences. But it has not happened.
Remission can, therefore, be given only on a case-by-case basis and not in a wholesale manner”, the letter said.
This was not done even though the victim, Bilkis Bano, and her supporters have often stated that they were threatened with violence by the convicts (who were liberally granted parole while in jail) as well as by the families and friends of the convicts, the letter said.
Bilkis has reportedly changed homes some 20 times over these years, because of threats to her life.
It is also shocking that five out of ten members of the Advisory Committee, which sanctioned the early release, belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the remaining are ex-officio members!
