The Supreme Court today, in a landmark judgment, directed the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and provide a government job to Bilkis Bano, who was gang raped in during the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
On learning that the survivor had been living without a permanent place to stay since 2002, the Supreme Court also directed the Gujarat government to give her an accommodation at a place of her choice.
The verdict was pronounced by the bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna. Earlier, the victim had declined to accept a Rs 5 lakh compensation offered by the state government and had approached the apex court seeking exemplary compensation.
Bilkis Bano also sought disciplinary proceedings against the police officers, who tried to derail the investigation. These policemen had been convicted by the Mumbai High Court. Earlier, the apex court had asked the state government to take action against these police officers, including one IPS officer who is on the verge of retiring. The other four policemen have already retired from service. The state government in its undertaking today also said that action was taken against all the policemen mentioned before the court. While the pension and other dues of the retired policemen were stopped, the lone serving officer, on the verge of retirement, had been demoted by two posts, the court was informed.
While a special court had on January 21, 2008, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men for raping a pregnant Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of Bano’s family members, including her three-year-old daughter, seven persons including the policemen and doctors had been acquitted.
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