Bilkis Bano case: T'gana Min asks Modi to interfere govt decision

HYDERABAD: Telangana IT and Industries Minister, K T Rama Rao on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his intervention to repeal the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case related to Bilkis Bano gang-rape and murder of her kin during 2002 riots.

Speaking with ANI, the minister said that I request to PM to interfere and reverse this decision by Gujarat government.

"The decision of the state in this case is giving wrong message to the nation. I request to the Prime Minister to reconsider the law and order regarding these type of cases," said the Minister.

Rao said that I totally agree with what our PM said from the Lal Quilla about women safety, but later on Independence Day evening, we witnessed a contrast in his sayings and actions when the decision to grant remission to 11 convicts came out.

"Recently a rape took place in Hyderabad, the perpetrators of the rape were minor and if an individual is capable of committing the crime as high as rape he should be tried as an adult. Today unfortunately Indian Penal Code when it comes to sexual harassment and sexual molestation is not very strong." He said.

The Minister for Industries and IT also asked the PM to make necessary amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) suitably so that no rapist can get a bail through judiciary.

"Not as a leader of opposition, but as an Indian citizen, I urge to our PM to mandate the Indian penal code, the Criminal Procedures Code and the Juvenile Justice Act," he further said.

Rao also took Twitter to condemn this decision and said, "Dear PM Narendra Modi Ji, if you had really meant what you spoke about Respecting women, urge you to intervene & rescind the Gujarat Government remission order releasing 11 Rapists Sir, it is nauseating to put it mildly & against MHA order. Need you to show sagacity to the Nation." .

All the 11 life term convicts in the case were released as per the remission policy prevalent in Gujarat at the time of their conviction in 2008

"Strong legislations are the only way to ensure Judiciary can deliver swiftly & perform at its best," he added in another tweet.

In March 2002 during post-Godhra riots, Bano was allegedly gang-raped and left to die with 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter. She was five months pregnant when rioters attacked her family in Vadodara.