Bilkis Bano Case: Former CBI Chief Accuses Modi Government Of Having 'Double Standard'

The controversy in the Gujarat Bilkis Bano case is not stopping and questions are being raised continuously regarding the release of the accused. Many people have said that the central government has a dual attitude in this matter. The opposition is also continuously putting pressure on the attitude of the government. A former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation says that the Center should have filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape and murder case. He claimed that the central government is always silent. This exemplifies his "double standards."

 

According to media reports, the former CBI director recalled that the Narendra Modi government successfully challenged Tamil Nadu's decision to release one of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts in the Supreme Court in 2015. The Center claimed that it has sole authority to exempt investigation cases conducted by federal agencies, and the Supreme Court agreed.

 

"Why the double standard in the Bilkis Bano case?" he wondered. In 2015, the Modi government was outraged by Tamil Nadu's decision to release the Rajiv assassination convict. In which case, why is a different scale used?"

 

The central government should clarify whether the Gujarat government obtained their permission for the release of 11 Bilkis Bano case convicts. In addition, the agency should state whether this action was taken on the advice of the Centre. And if not, who is to stop him from appealing to a higher court? A decision issued by a two-judge apex court bench last May has added to the complication. The judgment said that in the Bilkis Bano case, the power of exemption vests with the Gujarat government, as the offence was committed in that state.

 

The judgement did not refer to the 2015 decision by a five-judge Constitution bench, which held that the permission of the Centre was required for condoning punishment in cases investigated by central agencies. According to legal experts, Bilkis Bano is free to challenge the exemption, citing the Supreme Court's 2015 decision.