Shillong: The Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) has condemned the travesty of justice meted out to Bilkis Bano with the pre-mature release of the 11 gang rapists and murderers in Gujarat.
“It’s shocking to learn that these men guilty of gang rape and murder were freed, while the country declared its 75th Independence Day – wherein we celebrate the freedom, the citizens of India have gained from the chains of oppression and discrimination,” an MSCW statement circulated on Friday said.
According to the commission, the Act of releasing the convicted accused is a step back in time where women were oppressed and violated for their sex; and feelings of being unsafe in one’s own land are a day-to-day reality.
“We strongly stand with the action of the State of Gujarat in convicting the accused and ensuring the address and redressal of crimes against women. We fear this lenient approach towards the convicted perpetrators will set a damaging precedent for the future which is a blatant mockery to our criminal justice legal system,” the statement read.
Noting that the remission of the 11 convicts was a “mockery to the Centre’s appeal of Nari Shakti which was proudly spoken of on the day of our 75thIndependence”, the MSCW said, “This case is categorized as rarest of the rare case and we as a Commission is greatly devastated and demotivated to fight for women’s right, empowerment and justice in an environment where women are being oppressed and suppressed: physically, mentally and morally.”
The MSCW stands in solidarity with Bilkis Bano and all the movements, nationally and globally, calling for revoking the remission.
