Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed his views on the welcome meted out to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case since they were released from prison, saying it was wrong to felicitate a person accused of a crime and there was no justification to it.
Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, the BJP leader remarked there was no reason to raise the Bilkis Bano issue in this house.
The accused have been freed after completing nearly 20 years...14 years in jail, he said, adding that the release has been done after a Supreme Court order. “But it is wrong if any accused is felicitated and welcomed. An accused is an accused and there can be no justification for this (act),” said the State’s Home Minister.
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Mr. Fadnavis was replying to a discussion in the Council on the case of sexual assault of a 35-year-old woman in the Bhandara district on June 30. The woman was allegedly raped by a driver who left her on the spot. When she was taken to the Lakhni police station, she was allowed to leave only next day when was allegedly raped again by two different men. On August 2, some people found her unconscious and took her to the hospital.
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Stating that this was a very shameful incident, Mr. Fadnavis said the police and health officials will be sensitised again to handle cases related to crime against women. “A special investigation team has been formed to probe the incident. Standard operating procedures exist but they are not followed,” he noted.
The first accused has been arrested and investigation is underway to arrest the other two as well, he added.
