Bilkis Bano is an Indian rape survivor. She was brutally raped by a mob throughout the Gujarat riots in 2002.
Wiki/Biography
Bilkis Yakub Rasool was born in 1981 (age 41 years; as of 2022) in Radhikpur Village, Dahod District, Gujarat. He then shifted to Devgadh Baria, Gujarat.
bodily look
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Household
Bilkis belongs to a Muslim household.
Mother and father & Siblings
Her father, Abdul Ghachi, had a milk-selling enterprise. Her mom and sisters had been brutally killed within the Gujarat Riots in 2002.
Husband & Kids
Bilkis is married to a person named Yakub Rasool. The couple had three daughters. Their first daughter named Saleha was killed in Gujarat Riots (2002). In her reminiscence, she named her third daughter Saleha.
Bilkis Bano along with her husband and daughters
Bilkis Bano along with her husband and second daughter
2002 Godhra Riots Rape Sufferer
The morning of 27 February 2002 turned out to be a black day for Gujarat. On that day, a coach of Sabarmati Categorical was attacked by a mob of Muslims. The practice was heading from Ayodhya to Godhara carrying Hindu passengers. The mob then ignited the practice and round 59 Hindus had been burnt within the practice.
Godhra practice burning incident
As quickly because the information unfold that the attackers had been Muslims, a rage began among the many Hindus of Gujarat. The Hindus mob began attacking Muslims throughout the state. They began looting, killing, and even raping the Muslims. Many Muslim households had been killed within the assault. Bilkis Bano and her household had been amongst these Muslim households who had been attacked by the Hindu mobs. When Bilkis received the information that the Hindu mobs had been attacking Muslims, she determined to flee along with her household to some safer place. Throughout an interview, whereas remembering the incident, Bilkis mentioned,
I used to be within the kitchen making lunch, when my aunt and her youngsters got here working. They mentioned their properties had been being set on hearth and we needed to depart instantly. We left with simply the garments we had been sporting, we did not even have the time to placed on our slippers.”
The previous residence of Bilgis Bano and his household which is now became a store
Bilkis (5 months pregnant at the moment), her daughter, mom, siblings, and some different members of the family then disguise on the village of sarpanch’s home. They then took shelter at a college of their village, and later moved to a mosque. Throughout this time, one in every of her cousins who was 9 months pregnant delivered a child lady. Bilkis and her members of the family tried to flee to completely different locations, however on 3 March 2002, they had been noticed by the Hindu mobs. The Hindu mobs of round 20-30 folks attacked Bilkis and her members of the family. A person from the mob snatched Bilkis’s daughter from her and smashed her on a stone after which her daughter died. Later, the mob brutally raped Bilkis, her siblings and her mom. Out of her 17 members of the family, 8 had been killed and others went lacking. After the brutal assault, Bilkis was left unconscious, the mob thought that she was useless, in order that they left her there. Reportedly, she got here into her acutely aware after nearly three hours. She coated her bare physique with a petticoat mendacity close by after which escaped to a hillock. On the following day, when she awakened, her throat was drying, so she looked for water close by. She then noticed a handpump the place an Adivasi woman gave her some garments to put on. Bilkis noticed a police officer there, she requested him to assist her. He then took her to the Limkheda Police Station in a police jeep. On the police station, she gave her assertion to the Police Head Constable, Somabhai Gori. Bilkis was the one witness left who knew the names of the culprits as a lot of the males had been her recognized and from her village. The top constable denied registering her criticism and despatched her to a aid camp. On the camp, she met her husband who was lacking after the incident. Throughout an interview, Bilkis’s husband talked in regards to the incident. He mentioned,
I put the whole lot apart—the riots, the household we had misplaced. I spoke to her with love, I attempted to deliver her out of the ache she had endured.’ Since then, I’ve heard Bilkis testify 1,000,000 instances, to NGO staff, to attorneys, to journalists, however I’ve by no means requested her—what occurred to you? Who did what? You’ve gotten heard the phrases too, however each time, I’ve felt them in my coronary heart.”
An image of Gujarat Riots 2002
Within the camp, Bilkis had a medical examination, and instantly her case was taken by the Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC). Later, the Supreme Court docket of India transferred her case to the CBI. Initially, the CBI tried to seek out out the useless our bodies of her members of the family, however they discover it very tough because the our bodies had been beheaded by the mob. Bilkis then requested the Supreme Court docket to switch her case exterior Gujarat as she was receiving loss of life threats and needed to shift to twenty completely different residences. The Supreme Court docket accepted her plea and in August 2004, the apex courtroom shifted her case from Gujarat to a particular courtroom in Mumbai. Briefly, a case was filed towards 19 males together with six cops and a authorities physician. Bilkis’s case was then taken by the Indian lawyer Shobha Gupta.
Bilkis Bano along with her lawyer Shobha Gupta
On 21 January 2008, in Bilkis’s rape case, 13 males had been convicted of rape fees, out of which 11 had been sentenced to life imprisonment. The particular courtroom mentioned that Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, and Naresh Kumar Mordhiya (deceased) had raped Bilkis, and Shailesh Bhatt had killed her daughter. Whereas different convicts within the case had been Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Vohania, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana, and Head Constable Somabhai Gori. In Might 2017, the apex courtroom upheld the choice of the Mumbai particular courtroom. In 2019, the Supreme Court docket of India directed the Gujarat authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs to Bilkis, however she refused to take any compensation. Later, a panel was arrange by the Gujarat authorities which gave a inexperienced flag to the appliance of remission of life imprisonment to the convicts. On 15 August 2022, the convicts had been launched from the Godhara sub-jail. On releasing the convicts, the Further Chief Secretary (House) Raj Kumar mentioned,
The remission utility was thought-about as a result of the convicts had accomplished 14 years in jail, and components similar to “age, nature of the crime, habits in jail and so forth.”
Throughout an interview, Bilkis talked about releasing her convicts. She mentioned,
The choice to free the lads was “unjust.” It has “shaken” my religion in justice. After I heard that the convicts who had devastated my household and life had walked free, I used to be bereft of phrases. I’m nonetheless quantity. How can justice for any girl finish like this? I trusted the very best courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I used to be slowly studying to reside with my trauma. The discharge of those convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my religion in justice.” I enchantment to the Gujarat authorities to “undo this hurt” and “give me again my proper to reside with out concern and in peace.”
When Bilkis’s husband was requested about the identical, he mentioned,
Now we have been left numb, shocked and shaken. The battle we fought for thus a few years has been wrapped up in a single second. A sentence of life imprisonment given by the courtroom has been curtailed in such a way… We had by no means even heard of the phrase ‘remission’. We did not even know that such a course of exists.”
The video and images after the discharge of the convicts obtained enormous criticism on social media, because the convicts had been welcomed with sweets and garlands.
Bilkis Bano’s convicts
A number of images from the occasion went viral through which RSS felicitated the convicts.
Bilkis Bano’s convicts congratulated by RSS
In an interview, whereas speaking to the reporters, one of many convicts Shailesh Bhatt mentioned,
We had been victims of politics. Singor is a small village. All of the convicts belong to this village. We had been all victims of politics. I used to be a farmer and in addition an office-bearer of the district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) whereas my brother labored as a clerk at Panchmahals Dairy once we had been arrested. We had been arrested in 2004 and remained in jail for greater than 18 years. It feels good to be residence with my members of the family. Everyone is glad that we’re again. My son was eight or 9 years previous then, now he’s an grownup and works with Panchmahal Dairy. I’m glad for him.”