Supreme Court Rejects Interim Bail in Bilkis Bano Case

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed interim bail requests from Radheyshyam Bhagwandas and Rajubhai Babulal, convicted for raping Bilkis Bano and murdering her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The convicts challenged a January 8 verdict that had canceled their remission granted by the Gujarat government on Independence Day 2022. They argued that the ruling contradicted a 2002 Constitution bench order and sought referral to a larger bench, citing conflicting opinions from different Supreme Court benches. The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar called the plea 'absolutely misconceived' and refused to sit in appeal over another bench's order. The convicts' request to withdraw the plea was granted, and their appeal for interim bail remains unresolved.