The counsel representing one of the convicts granted early release in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case informed the court that the compensation granted to Bilkis Bano by the Supreme Court was the highest ever awarded in any gang rape case.
During the argument against the cancellation of the granted remission to the convict, advocate Sonia Mathur apprised the bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna that Bilkis Bano had already received compensation, a government job, and accommodation.
Mathur clarified that the remission granted to the convict was not an act of generosity or charity, asserting that he had “earned it”.
She conveyed to the court that her client had spent a significant period of time out of jail, and this achievement should not be undone.
The reference to the compensation granted to Bilkis Bano pertains to a 2019 Supreme Court order, where the Gujarat government was directed to pay her Rs 50 lakh as compensation. Additionally, she was to be provided with government employment and accommodation at a location of her choice.
The court had acknowledged the unique nature of Bilkis Bano’s case, citing that her loss and suffering exceeded those of ordinary cases. The court emphasized that the heinous acts of violence had left lasting scars on her psyche, causing ongoing torment.
The court further noted that during the Gujarat riots, Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and pregnant. She endured repeated gang rapes and tragically witnessed her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter being brutally murdered. Her entire family was lost in the horrific attacks.
When she approached the court at around 40 years of age, she was homeless and living with her daughter, who was born after the traumatic incident. Forced to live as a nomad and an orphan, she survived through the support of NGOs due to her family’s tragic fate.
Consequently, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court concluded that Bilkis Bano rightfully deserved substantial compensation
