2002 Gujarat Riots: Supreme Court Dismisses Gujarat Government’s Review Petition Against Its January 08 Verdict In Bilkis Bano Case

On September 26, 2024 (Thursday), the Supreme Court (SC) of India dismissed the Gujarat Government’s review petition against the top court’s January 08 verdict that set aside the remission granted to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. While dismissing the petition, the SC bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan refused to remove the comments made by it in the previous order in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots. The bench said, “Having carefully gone through the Review Petitions, the order under challenge and the papers annexed therewith, we are satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of the record or any merit in the Review Petitions, warranting reconsideration of the order impugned. The Review Petitions are, accordingly, dismissed.” 

January 08 verdict of the SC said, “The state of Gujarat never sought for the review of the order of this court dated May 13, 2022 by bringing to the notice of this Court that it was contrary to Section 432(7) CrPC and judgments of this court. Instead, the state of Gujarat has acted in tandem and was complicit with what the petitioner (Radheyshyam) had sought before this Court...the exercise of discretion and the passing of the impugned orders of remission in the case of respondent Nos.3 to 13 (convicts) was an instance of usurpation of power.” The review plea filed by the Government said, “The extreme observation made by this Court that the state of Gujarat ‘acted in tandem and was complicit with accused’ is not only highly unwarranted and against the record of the case, but has caused serious prejudice to the state of Gujarat.”