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Justice delayed, but not denied

2008 convicted and sentenced to life
Supreme Court has directed the Gujarat government imprisonment 11 men for raping Bano
to give 50 lakh compensation, a job and accommodation to and murdering seven of her fam-
ily members in the aftermath of the
Bilkis Bano, who was gang raped during the 2002 riots Godhra riots, while acquitting seven
in the state, reports tehelka bureau persons including the policemen and
doctors.
Bilkis Bano, during a press
conference after the Supreme
Court order, said she she was
not “at peace” since she was
Lone survivor Bilkis Bano was the gang-raped by 11 men; and 14
only adult survivor and eyewitness members of her family were
to the massacre murdered during the 2002 vio-
lence, including her 3-and-half-
year-old daughter. She was the
only adult survivor and eyewit-
ness to the massacre.
“The honorable Supreme
Court has let me know it stands
with me. It understood my pain,
my suffering and my struggle to
regain the constitutional rights
that were lost in the violence of
2002. No citizen should have to
suffer at the hands of the state,
whose duty it is to protect us,”
she said.
Bano said that after many
years of her dreams being sup-
pressed, she stands vindicated
as a survivor. “My dreams are
boundless,” she said. She says
she has big dreams for her chil-
eventeen years long legal prising Justices Deepak Gupta and dren: “I will use this money to educate
struggle of Bilkis Bano, a Sanjiv Khanna, was informed by the my children and give them a stable
victim of the infamous 2002 state’s counsel that pension benefits of life. My eldest daughter wants to be a
Gujarat riots, has earned the erring officials have been stopped lawyer. Perhaps she will appear before
S her a compensation of and the IPS officer who was convicted the same court some day, to argue for
50 lakh through a recent order of the by the Bombay High Court in the case justice to others. This is my prayer.”
Supreme Court. Beside directing the has been demoted by two ranks. She also said her victory is on
Gujarat government to give 50 lakh Bano had earlier refused to accept behalf of other women who also suf-
compensation, the apex court has also the offer of 5 lakh and had sought fered communal violence, but may not
told the authorities to give a job and exemplary compensation from the have been able to get justice from the
accommodation to Bilkis Bano, who state government in a plea before the legal system. Bano says she wants to use
was gang raped during the 2002 riots top court. The top court had earlier the compensation to help these wom-
in the state. asked the Gujarat government to take en survivors and help educate their
A bench headed by Chief Justice disciplinary action in two weeks against children. She wants to help the survi-
Rajan Gogoi was informed by the the erring police officials, including an vors in memory of her first husband
Gujarat government that action has IPS officer, convicted by the Bombay and their first born daughter Saleha,
been taken against the erring police High Court in the case. who were killed during the riots.
officials in the case. A bench, also com- A special court had on 21 January, Bilkis Bano also pledged to put aside a

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 44 www.Tehelka.com