Bilkis case convict was booked for outraging woman's modesty
New Delhi: Bilkis Bano case convicts were out of jail for around 1,000 days even before being released on remission of life sentence and one of them even got charge- sheeted for outraging the modesty of a women in 2020 while out on parole, the Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court.
A state government affidavit said all convicts were granted parole, furlough and even temporary bail at different points during their incarceration, with the highest being for 1,576 days and the lowest 998 days. Out of the 11, Mitesh Chamanlal Bhatt was booked and charge-sheeted for offences under sections 354 (outraging the modesty of woman), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC, entailing a maximum sentence of 7 years, or fine, or both. The information with regard to Bhatt (57) was given by the collector-cum-district magistrate of Dahod in his letter dated May 25, 2022 while putting forth his opinion about the prisoner's premature release under sections 432-433A of the CrPC. These sections relate to suspension and remission of punishment of convicts.
"Offence has been registered against the said applicant/accused prisoner Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt registered in Randhikpur police station in Dahod district IPC sections 354, 504, 506 and chargesheet has been filed and currently this case is pending on the board of the court and in the future, it guarantees that the accused agrees to uphold any future judgement given by the court in this case," the letter said. It gave the date of the alleged incident as June 19, 2020 at 9.15 am and said since then Bhatt enjoyed 281 leaves out of the total 954 days parole, furlough leaves till date (May 25, 2022). The collector further said, "On the records of all the police stations of Dahod district being summoned, neither any representation nor any memorandum nor any FIR has been found filed against the said prisoner namely Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt, resident of Singwad during his parole furlough leave that may lead to communal conflict between Hindu-Muslim."
He gave no objection to the premature release of Bhatt after taking into account the opinion of Police Sub-Inspector, Randhikpur, and Deputy Superintendent of Police of Limkheda.
