The Supreme Court of India has issued notice on a plea filed by two convicts challenging their life sentence for murder and gang rape in the Bilkis Bano case, a landmark case arising from the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Key Developments
The appeal has been filed by Bipinchand Kanaiyalal Joshi and Pradip Ramanlal Modhiya against the 2017 Bombay High Court judgment, which upheld their conviction and life imprisonment.
A bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Vijay Bishnoi issued notice to the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The matter has been listed for hearing on May 5, 2026.
Case Background
The case relates to the 2002 Gujarat riots, during which Bilkis Bano, then 5 months pregnant, was gang-raped and several members of her family were murdered.
In 2008, a trial court convicted 11 accused, awarding life imprisonment, which was later upheld by the Bombay High Court in 2017.
Legal Context
Earlier, in 2024, the Supreme Court had set aside the remission granted to the 11 convicts, holding that the Gujarat government was not the competent authority.
Supreme Court Observer
What This Means
The current proceedings will determine whether there are grounds to interfere with the conviction and life sentence upheld by the High Court.
Legal Principle:
Convicts retain the right to challenge conviction and sentence before the Supreme Court, even after confirmation by the High Court, through Special Leave Petitions (SLPs).
