At least 6,000 signatories from across India have appealed to the Supreme Court to revoke the premature release of 11 rapists and murderers in the Bilkis Bano case. The remission is immoral, unconscionable and a mortal blow to the citizenry's faith in the judiciary. Justice was seen to have been done with their conviction, but now it has been totally undone with their release. This release of rapists has destroyed the trust and faith in the system. What followed was even sickening, the criminals were garlanded, felicitated and worshipped by even women from the saffron brigade. The PM talks of women's safety and empowerment from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the CJI delivers homilies about speeding up justice delivery mechanisms and women getting the short end of the stick in our patriarchal system, supposed saints pontificate about women being the epitome of 'shakti' ; but these are merely hollow words. If it is really serious at reversing wrongs , the Apex Court should take suo motu cognisance of the criminal remission granted by the state and put the rapists back in jail where they belong.
