US religious freedom body condemns Bilkis Bano rape convicts' early release: 'Travesty of justice'

In what would be perceived as an embarrassment for the Narendra Modi government, the US Commission of International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Friday (19) slammed the "unjustified" early release of 11 men convicted of raping Bilkis Bano, a five-month pregnant woman and murdering 14 members of her family during the Gujarat riots of 2002.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the western state then.

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“USCIRF strongly condemns the early and unjustified release of 11 men sentenced to life in prison for raping a pregnant Muslim woman and committing murder against Muslim victims during the 2002 Gujarat Riots,” USCIRF vice chair Abraham Cooper said in a statement.

The body's commissioner, Stephen Schneck, called the release of the convicts who were given a grand welcome in the state earlier this week, was a "travesty of justice" and said it was part of a "pattern of impunity" for those involved in violence against religious minorities.

“The failure to hold accountable perpetrators of the 2002 Gujarat Riots who committed physical & sexual violence is a travesty of justice. It's part of a pattern of impunity in India for those engaged in violence against religious minorities," USCIRF quoted Schneck as saying.

Bano and her family also expressed shock over the move.  “When I heard that the 11 convicted men who devastated my family and my life, and took from me my 3 year old daughter, had walked free. I was bereft of words. I am still numb,” she said in a statement.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's ruling party which is also in power in Gujarat, has been facing flak over the release of the convicts under its old 1992 remission policy. A senior official of the state government said the release was considered under its old remission policy since it was in effect when the convicts were pronounced guilty in the case in 2008.

Several grassroots workers and human rights activists have urged India's top court to revoke the remission saying the precedent would have a "chilling effect on every rape victim who is told to 'trust the system', 'seek justice', and 'have faith'."

The opposition Indian National Congress has also accused the state's review panel that granted the remission of bias. It said the panel featured two legislators from the BJP. One of them referred to the convicts as "Brahmins" who have "good sanskar" (values).