Guj riots: I’m still living in fear, says Bilkis

Twelve persons were convicted by a special court in Mumbai on Friday in the gang-rape case. One policeman was also convicted for lodging false FIR. Seven other accused were acquitted by the court. The quantum of sentence is to be pronounced on Monday.

Although she felt that justice was delivered in the case, she was also convinced that seven persons acquitted should also have been punished.

Those doctors and policemen who connived with the rioters should not go scott-free, she said.

“This judgement does not mean the end of hatred but it does mean that somewhere, somehow justice can prevail. I am ready to work closely with CBI in other cases too,” she added.

“We would wish the Gujarat government to take up the appeal to a higher court to ensure the seven officers are also punished,” Indira Jaisingh, lawyer and human rights activist, said.

Bilkis also expressed her “resolve to fight the case till complete justice is delivered”.

In a reply to a query, Bilkis said the frequent flip-flop of Zahira Sheikh had “hurt the fight of innocent victims of Gujarat riots and has brought a bad name to the community.” Bilkis, who was six-month pregnant, was gang-raped during the communal violence that erupted in Gujarat after a coach of Sabarmati Express carrying Ramsevaks from Ayodhya was set on fire on February 27, 2002.

Bilkis was also a prime witness to the murder and rape of members of her family and community during the riots.

The trial was shifted from a court in Ahmedabad to Mumbai in August 2003 by the Supreme Court after the Central Bureau of Investigation and Bilkis expressed apprehensions that witnesses in the case could be harmed if the trial was conducted in Gujarat.

The accused allegedly attacked 17 members of the minority community in their village, which resulted in the death of eight while six were reported missing. Bilkis was one among three who survived.

Six police officers were charged with shielding the guilty while two doctors were accused of fabricating evidence.

11 get lifer

Eleven persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Delhi on Monday for their involvement in the Bilkis Bano gangrape-cum-murder case which took place during the communal violence in Gujarat in 2002.

The twelfth convict in the case, Somabhai Gori, a police official who was found guilty by the court for shielding the offenders, has been sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Twelve persons, including the police official, were convicted by the court on January 18. Seven were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence, while one died during the course of the trial.

The accused sentenced to life imprisonment by the court are: Jaswantibhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhyesham Shah, Bipin Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajanbhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana.

Bilkis was among a group of 17 persons travelling from Chaparwad to Panivela on March 3, 2002 when they were attacked. Eight persons were killed and six went missing after the incident.

Bilkis, who was six months pregnant, was gangraped. She and two children were the only survivors of the attack.

The trial was transferred from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in August 2004 by the Supreme Court as the CBI and Bilkis had expressed fears that witnesses could be intimidated or harmed.

The eleven persons were convicted under IPC sections 120 (b) (conspiracy), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 376 (2) (e)(g) (rape on pregnant woman and gangrape) and 302 (murder).

One of the members of this group, Naresh Mordhiya, died during the course of the trial.

Police official, Gori, was found guilty by the court under sections 217 and 218 of IPC for attempting to shield the offenders.

While convicting the eleven accused, the court had considered the statements of Bilkis and one of the child witnesses, who was eight-years-old at the time of the incident.