A hopeful Bilkis goes public

Bilkis Bano says transfer of her case outside Gujarat has restored her faith in judicial system while recalling that she, her family members and other witnesses were being threatened.

AHMEDABAD/ VADODARA, DHNS & PTI:

After Zaheera Sheikh of Vadodara, the face of Best Bakery carnage, Bilkis is the second woman to fight for justice. On Sunday, as she made her maiden public appearance after the Supreme Court transferred her case outside Gujarat, Bilkis Yakub Rasool said that she was hopeful of getting justice in Maharashtra.

Accompanied by her husband Yakub and social activists from New Delhi and Lucknow amidst heavy security following a threat perception, Bilkis Bano said that last two years had not made any difference to her life. “The only difference will be when the accused are convicted,” she said, speaking to media in Gujarati.
Bilkis Bano was allegedly gangraped and 14 members of her family were killed on March 3, 2002 during post-Godhra riots. Seven female members of her family were allegedly raped before been killed. She is the only witness to the gang rape and murder.

One year after the incident, police had filed “Summary A” report and a local court in Limkheda closed the case citing inconsistencies in her statements. After Bilkis Bano approached National Human Rights Commission, the Apex Court stepped it. Handing over the inquiry to the CBI was one of the first steps of the Apex Court.

Later, Bilkis Bano filed a petition to move the case out of Gujarat and on August 6, Supreme Court transferred the case to Maharashtra. Twenty persons, including six police officers, two government doctors and a personal assistant to a former minister, are behind the bars.

“I don’t remember the dates on which I filed complaints. I did twice, once at the Limkheda police station and second time at a relief camp in Godhra. Police took my thumb impression. I do not know what they wrote in the complaint as I am illiterate. I had told them whatever had happened to me and my family members,” she said, maintaining that she had not changed her statement.

“The transfer of case outside Gujarat has restored my faith in judicial system,” she said, recalling that she, her family members and other witnesses were being threatened during last two years. No wonder she had to change her residence 20 times in the last two years.

“This is not my lone battle. It is the battle for several women, who have been raped. Sexual violence was systematically used against women of my community in 2002,” she said, questioning as to why the state government has not compensated them (women who were raped and sexually harassed) for the scars they suffered on their hearts, minds and bodies.

“My fight will give courage to many more riot victim women,” Bilkis Bano felt. If the accused are convicted then she would continue to stay in Gujarat, she said.
Meanwhile, two Best Bakery case accused have been arrested in Dabhoi town on Sunday taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13, police said.
Haresh Veerendra Prashad Gosai and his brother Pankaj were trying to board a bus for Surat when they were nabbed by the crime branch officials, they said adding the duo would be brought to Vadodara.

There are, in all, 21 accused in the case. while seven are still absconding, one of the accused in the case has been granted bail by the Supreme Court. The hearing in the retrial of the case will take place in the Bombay Court on August 9. It has asked all the absconding persons in the case to appear before it on August 9.