Supreme Court orders Rs 50 lakh, job, house for Gujarat gangrape survivor Bilkis Bano

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped during the 2002 riots, and to provide her a government job and accommodation. Bano in a plea before the top court had sought exemplary compensation from the state government, refusing to accept its offer of Rs 5 lakh. The top court, terming the Rs 5 lakh compensation as ‘interim’, had posted the hearing for April 23. Bano’s lawyer Shobha Gupta said she had been leading almost a nomadic life after being subjected to gruesome crime and therefore exemplary compensation should be granted. The top court, in its last hearing on March 30, had also asked the Gujarat government to take disciplinary action in two weeks against the erring police officials, including an IPS officer, convicted by the Bombay High Court in the gangrape case. At the outset, Gupta said that no action has been taken by the state government against the erring officials, who were convicted by the high court. She said that one IPS officer, currently serving in Gujarat is set to retire this year, while in case of four other officials who have retired no action has been taken against them like stopping of their pensions and retirement benefits. The counsel further said that these police officers were convicted by the high court for botching up the investigation in the case. Senior advocate Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government said that disciplinary proceedings are going on against the erring police officials. He said that it will be completed soon but the top court asked him to complete the proceedings within two weeks. Source: Hindustan Times