Ahmedabad: In a significant development in the Bilkis Bano case, the lone eyewitness, who was only seven years old at the time of the horrific incident, has expressed the firm belief that the perpetrators of the gruesome crime should either face the death penalty or spend the rest of their lives behind bars for justice to be truly served.
Recalling the tragic events that unfolded in Limkheda taluka of Gujarat’s Dahod district during the 2002 riots following the Godhra train burning incident, the now 28-year-old eyewitness vividly remembers the mob attack on his cousin Bilkis Bano and other members of the minority community, resulting in the brutal killing of 14 individuals.
Currently residing in Ahmedabad with his own family, the eyewitness spoke of the enduring trauma of witnessing the heinous act and the persistent nightmares that haunt him to this day. "I still wake up in the night and scream as those moments haunt me even after all these years," he shared.
Expressing relief at the Supreme Court's decision on January 8 to overturn the Gujarat government's premature release of 11 convicts, the eyewitness emphasized the need for stringent punishment. "I felt very hurt when they were set free. I am somewhat relieved now because they will be sent behind bars once again," he stated, adding, "All the convicts must be either hanged or kept behind bars for the remainder of their lives. Only then will justice be served. These men must never be set free again."
The eyewitness, who played a crucial role in the legal proceedings, testified before a special CBI court in 2005 in Mumbai. Having spent time in a relief camp in Godhra and later being cared for by a guardian who enrolled him in a residential school in Kutch, the eyewitness's testimony matched the sequence of events narrated by the complainant, Bilkis Bano. He also identified four of the 11 accused during the court hearings.
The tragic incident occurred when a group of 17 individuals, predominantly women and children, fled Randhikpur village in Limkheda taluka to escape the riots. The eyewitness, Bilkis Bano, and his family were part of this group, which fell victim to a violent mob on March 3, resulting in the death of 14 individuals and the gang rape of Bilkis Bano. The eyewitness and Bilkis Bano survived the attack, along with a 4-year-old boy, as the mob left, presuming everyone was dead.
—Input from Agencies