Released convicts in Bilkis Bano case back to normal life, while she still reels from trauma: report

Randhikpur, Dahod (Gujarat): The house where Bilkis Bano lived is now a shop after her family rented it out to a Hindu woman to sell clothes.

Bilkis Bano, who survived gang rape, has been living in fear away from the village of Randhikpur in Gujarat's Dahod district since the night of terror in 2002, according to NDTV.

All the convicts in the violence that took place when Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant at the time have homes in the village of 4000 residents, according to the report.

The 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15, serving 18 years of their life term, after the Gujarat government granted them remission from the life term.

One of the convicts Govind Nai, reportedly claimed innocence adding with a question "Have you seen uncle and nephew rape someone in front of each other?" alongside saying Hindus wouldn't do it.

While out on parole for nearly three years before being released, Govind Nai and other convicts threatened the witnesses in the case, NDTV reportedly found out.

Govind Nai, who ordered out media from his village without taking any questions, allegedly threatened in July 2017 two persons for testifying against him in the case.

Another convict living just across from Bilkis Bano's house is Radheshyam Shah who alongside his brother is reportedly named in an FIR for assaulting a woman while on parole but his brother who runs a shop for crackers said that the FIR is "baseless".

Officials—including the Superintendent of Police—responsible for clearing the early release of the convicts would not respond for a talk, the report by NDTV said.

Another convict who was released Rajubhai Soni reportedly eased out of his jewellery shop without responding.

Bilkis Bano is still reeling from the trauma of her suffering.

In a statement following the release of convicts, she reportedly said she was still numb just as the trauma of the past 20 years wash over her again.

She also appealed to the Gujarat government to revoke their decision adding that no one asked about her safety and well-being when they made the "unjust decision".

Alongside having been gang raped, Bilkis Bano lost seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter on March 3, 2002 during the Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning.