Shailesh Chimanlal Bhatt( Left)
New Delhi: One of the 11 convicts, all released on Independence day, in the Bilkis Banu rape case was seen sharing stage with a BJP MP and MLA at a government programme in Gujarat on Sunday.
The man appeared at the public event even as the Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge against their release on Monday.
The event related to group water supply scheme was held in Karmadi Village of Dahod district on March 25, according to NDTV.
Footage currently doing rounds showed Shailesh Chimanlal Bhatt on stage with Dahod MP Jasvant Sinh Bhabhor and his brother, Limkheda MLA Sailesh Bhabhor. He was seen reportedly participating in the puja as well.
The 11 convicts were sentenced to life term in 2008 for gangraping Bilkis Bano and killing seven members of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bilkis Bano’s three-year-old daughter was also killed.
Gujarat witnessed violence sweeping through the state after the attack on Sabarmati Express killed 59 ‘kar sevaks’.
Several petitions including those by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPM Politburo member Subhashini Ali have been filed against the release of the convicts.
One of the two petitions filed by Bilkis Bano sought the top court to review its May 2022 order directing the Gujarat government to consider a convict's release plea, which the court dismissed.
Following the court’s direction and the release petition by the convicts, the Gujarat government released all the convicts.
Meanwhile, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala gave Bilkis Bano the assurance of forming a new bench to hear the petitions against the convicts’ release.