Who Is Bilkis Bano? Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Kids, Family, Lawyer & More
Bilkis Bano is an Indian woman who survived a brutal gang rape and witnessed the murder of 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots. She is known for her courage and perseverance in seeking justice for herself and her loved ones, despite facing threats, intimidation, and harassment from the perpetrators and the authorities.
She is also known for being awarded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job, and accommodation by the Supreme Court of India in 2019, in recognition of her suffering and struggle. She is one of the most prominent faces of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident.
Early Life and Background
Bilkis was born in 1981 in Radhikpur village, Dahod district, Gujarat. She belongs to a Muslim community that is engaged in milk selling business. She is the daughter of Abdul Ghachi and an unnamed mother. She has two younger sisters, who were killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
She was married to Yakub Rasool, a truck driver, at the age of 18. She had three daughters, out of whom the eldest, Saleha, was killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots. She named her youngest daughter Saleha, in memory of her first daughter. She currently lives in Devgadh Baria, Gujarat, with her husband and two daughters.
Bilkis Bano Wiki/Bio
| Full name | Bilkis Yakub Rasool |
| Profession | Homemaker |
| Known For | Being gang-raped during the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1981 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 41 Years |
| Birthplace | Village Radhikpur, District Dahod, Gujarat |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Devgadh Baria, Gujarat |
| Religion | Islam |
| Husband/Spouse | Yakub Rasool |
| Children | Out of her three daughters, her eldest daughter Saleha was killed in the Gujarat Riots in 2002. She kept her youngest daughter’s name Saleha in memory of her first daughter. |
| Parents | Father- Abdul Ghachi (milk selling business) Mother- Name Not Known (killed in the Gujarat Riots 2002) |
| Siblings | Her younger sisters were killed in the Gujarat Riots in 2002. |
| bilkisbano | |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
The 2002 Gujarat Riots and the Gang Rape of Bilkis Bano
The 2002 Gujarat riots were a series of communal violence that erupted in the western Indian state of Gujarat, following the burning of a train in Godhra on 27 February 2002, which caused the deaths of 58 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya. The incident is cited as having instigated the violence, which lasted for three days and spread to several parts of the state.
According to official figures, the riots resulted in 1,044 deaths, 223 missing, and 2,500 injured. Of the dead, 790 were Muslim and 254 Hindu. However, other sources estimated the death toll to be over 2,000. Many brutal killings, rapes, looting, and destruction of property were reported, as well as widespread targeting of the minority Muslim population by the majority Hindu mobs.
Bilkis Bano was one of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. She was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped by a group of men on 3 March 2002, while she was trying to flee from the violence along with her relatives. The mob that attacked her also killed 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter Saleha, who was smashed with a rock.
Bano was left for dead by the assailants, who also tried to cover up the crime by burying the bodies of the victims. She was the sole survivor and eyewitness of the massacre. She managed to reach a police station and file a complaint, but the police refused to register her case and threatened her to keep quiet. She also faced hostility and indifference from the doctors who examined her and the government officials who were supposed to protect her. She was forced to move from one place to another, fearing for her life and the safety of her unborn child.
The Legal Battle and the Quest for Justice
Bano did not give up on her quest for justice, despite the odds stacked against her. She approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and several NGOs for help and support. She also filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India, seeking the transfer of her case from Gujarat to Maharashtra, alleging that the investigation and trial were biased and influenced by the state government, which was led by Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat and later Prime Minister of India. She accused Modi and other government officials of condoning the violence and abetting the perpetrators. She also alleged that the police and the doctors had tampered with the evidence and fabricated the records to shield the culprits.
The Supreme Court accepted her petition and transferred the case to Mumbai in 2004. It also appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case and monitor the trial. The SIT arrested the accused and collected the evidence, including the DNA samples and the exhumed bodies of the victims. The trial began in 2005 and lasted for six years. In 2008, the Supreme Court also ordered the CBI to investigate the role of the police officers and the doctors involved in the case.
In 2012, a Mumbai sessions court convicted 12 men for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members and acquitted seven others, including five police officers and two doctors. The court sentenced 11 of the convicts to life imprisonment and one to seven years in jail. The court also convicted five police officers and two doctors for tampering with the evidence and obstructing justice and sentenced them to three years in jail. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 55,000 on each of the convicts.
Bilkis welcomed the verdict but expressed dissatisfaction with the acquittal of seven accused and the leniency shown to the police officers and the doctors. She appealed to the Bombay High Court, seeking the enhancement of the sentences and the reversal of the acquittals. The CBI also filed an appeal, supporting her plea. The convicts also challenged their conviction and sentence in the high court.
In 2017, the Bombay High Court upheld the conviction and life sentence of 11 men for the gang rape and murder, and set aside the acquittal of seven others, including the five police officers and two doctors. The high court also enhanced the sentence of the police officers and the doctors to 10 years in jail and increased the fine of the convicts to Rs 2 lakh each. The high court also directed the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to Bano, in addition to the Rs 5 lakh already paid by the central government. The high court praised Bilkis for her courage and resilience and called the crime a “black chapter” in the history of India.
Bilkis Bano hailed the high court judgment as a victory of truth and justice but said that her fight was not over yet. She said that she wanted the death penalty for the convicts and that she would approach the Supreme Court for the same. She also said that she wanted to see Narendra Modi and other government officials held accountable for their role in the riots.
Husband and Kids
Bilkis Bano is married to Yakub Rasool, a truck driver, who has stood by her side throughout her ordeal and struggle for justice. The couple has three daughters, out of whom the eldest, Saleha, was killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots. She named her youngest daughter Saleha, in memory of her first daughter. She currently lives in Devgadh Baria, Gujarat, with her husband and two daughters.
She has joined the government job as a peon in the local collectorate office and has also received accommodation from the state. She has also received a compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the state and has invested it in fixed deposits and mutual funds for the future of her daughters. She has also enrolled her daughters in a private school and has been supporting their education and aspirations.
Parents and Siblings
Bilkis was born in 1981 in Radhikpur village, Dahod district, Gujarat. She belongs to a Muslim community that is engaged in milk selling business. She is the daughter of Abdul Ghachi and an unnamed mother. She has two younger sisters, who were killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots. She was married to Yakub Rasool, a truck driver, at the age of 18.
Net Worth
Bano’s net worth is estimated to be around 1 million USD, according to some sources. She has received the compensation of Rs 50 lakh (around 67,000 USD) from the Gujarat government, in addition to the Rs 15 lakh (around 20,000 USD) already paid to her by the lower courts, as per the Supreme Court’s order in 2019. She has also received a government job and a house from the state.
She has invested the money in fixed deposits and mutual funds for the future of her daughters. She has also been receiving recognition and awards from various national and international organizations, such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the Indian Women’s Press Corps, for her courage and resilience.
Religion and Caste
Bilkis belongs to a Muslim family and follows the Islamic faith. She does not belong to any specific caste, as Islam does not recognize the caste system. However, she has faced discrimination and violence from the Hindu mobs, who targeted her and her family for being Muslims, during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
She has also accused Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat and later Prime Minister of India, and other government officials of being complicit in the violence and the cover-up. She has also demanded that they be held accountable for their role in the riots.
The Supreme Court Compensation and the Remission Controversy
In 2019, the Supreme Court of India directed the Gujarat government to pay Rs 50 lakh as compensation to Bano as compensation for her ordeal and suffering and also ordered the state to provide her a government job and accommodation at a place of her choice. The apex court said that the compensation was given in addition to the Rs 15 lakh already paid to her by the lower courts and that it was a “symbolic recognition” of her “bravery and courage”. The court also dismissed the appeals of the convicts against their conviction and sentence and said that it was “shocked” by the brutality of the crime.
Bilkis accepted the Supreme Court’s compensation and thanked the court for its compassion and empathy. She said that the money would help her and her family to rebuild their lives and that she would use it for the education and welfare of her daughters. She also said that she was happy to get a government job and a house, as it would give her a sense of security and dignity. She said that she hoped that her case would inspire other survivors of sexual violence to speak up and seek justice.
However, in 2020, the Gujarat government granted remission to the convicts and released them from jail, citing their “good conduct” and “completion of 14 years of imprisonment”. The government said that the decision was taken by the Supreme Court’s guidelines and the state’s policy of granting remission to prisoners on humanitarian grounds. The government also said that the convicts had undergone “reformation and rehabilitation” programs in jail and that they had no criminal antecedents or pending cases against them.
Bano expressed her shock and anguish over the release of the convicts and said that it was a “betrayal” of her trust and faith in the justice system. She said that the remission was a “mockery” of her pain and suffering and that it sent a “wrong message” to society and the perpetrators of sexual violence.
She said that she felt “unsafe” and “vulnerable” after the release of the convicts and that she feared for her life and the safety of her family. She also said that she would challenge the remission in the Supreme Court and that she would continue to fight for justice till her last breath.
Physical Appearance
| Weight | In Kilograms: 58 kg In Pounds: 128 lbs |
| Height | In Feet Inches: 5′ 5″ In Meters: 1.65 m In Centimetres: 165 cm |
| Hair Color | Black. |
| Eye Color | Black. |
| Piercing | Ears. |
The Current Status and the Future Prospects
Bilkis is currently living in Devgadh Baria, Gujarat, with her husband and two daughters. She has joined the government job as a peon in the local collectorate office and has also received accommodation from the state. She has also received a compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the state and has invested it in fixed deposits and mutual funds for the future of her daughters. She has also enrolled her daughters in a private school and has been supporting their education and aspirations.
She has also been involved in various social and humanitarian causes, such as women’s empowerment, communal harmony, and human rights. She has also been receiving recognition and awards from various national and international organizations, such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the Indian Women’s Press Corps, for her courage and resilience.
Controversy over the release of the convicts
The controversy over the release of the convicts started in 2020 when the Gujarat government decided to grant them remission under its 1992 policy, which allows the premature release of life-term prisoners who have completed 14 years of imprisonment and have shown good conduct. The government claimed that it had obtained the concurrence of the Centre and the opinion of the Inspector General of the Jail, the District Police Officer, the District Magistrate, the Jail Superintendent, and the Advisory Board Committee for the early release of the convicts. The government also said that the CBI and the special court in Mumbai had opposed the release, but the Supreme Court had clarified in 2022 that the Gujarat government was the “appropriate government” to decide the matter as per its policy.
However, Bilkis Bano and several other petitioners, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI (M) leader Subhashini Ali, independent journalist and filmmaker Revati Laul, and former philosophy professor and activist Roop Rekha Varma, challenged the remission granted to the convicts in the Supreme Court. They argued that the release was illegal, arbitrary, and violative of the principles of natural justice and human rights. They also contended that the release was an insult to the victims and survivors of the riots and a mockery of the rule of law. They further alleged that the release was motivated by political considerations and communal bias.
Supreme Court’s verdict
The Supreme Court, after hearing the arguments of both sides, dismissed the review petition filed by Bilkis and the other petitioners on Saturday. The court said that it had carefully examined the records and the submissions of the parties and found no merit in the review petition. The court said that it had already dealt with the issues raised by the petitioners in its judgment dated May 13, 2022, and there was no error apparent on the face of the record that warranted a review. The court also said that the review petition was not a rehearing of the original matter and the scope of review was very limited.
The court, in its 2022 judgment, had upheld the Gujarat government’s decision to release the convicts under its 1992 policy and rejected the contention that the Maharashtra government’s 2008 policy should apply as the trial was conducted in Mumbai. The court had said that the place of trial was irrelevant and the place of commission of the offense was material for determining the appropriate government. The court had also said that the Gujarat government had followed the due procedure and the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in various cases for granting remission to the convicts. The court had also noted that the convicts had completed 18 years of imprisonment and their behaviour was found to be good.
