Bilkis Bano case convict was booked for outraging woman's modesty while on parole in 2020

NEW DELHI:  The 477-page counter affidavit of the Gujarat government in the Bilkis Bano case, which the Supreme Court found bulky, has revealed the flawed character of one of the 11 convicts the State released on remission citing good behaviour.

An annexure dated May 25, 2022 addressed to the Collector and District Magistrate, by Balram Meena, the Superintendent of Police, Dahod, said Mitesh Chimanlal Bhatt, one of the convicts, was charged for outraging a woman’s modesty on June 19, 2020 while he was on parole.

An FIR was registered at the Randhikpur police station invoking various IPC sections, including 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

A chargesheet was later filed and the case is under trial. Yet, Meena had no issues with Bhatt’s premature release, arguing the chargesheet “guarantees that the accused agrees to uphold any future judgment given by Hon’ble Court (Dahod court) in this case.”

His letter also revealed that till May 25, 2022 Bhatt had enjoyed “954 parole, furlough leaves”. Importantly, he was out of prison for 281 days after the June 19, 2020 incident. The annexures further disclosed that over 1,000 days of “leave” from jail, including parole and furlough, was enjoyed by at least 10 out of the 11 convicts. Besides claiming their good behaviour, the Gujarat government in its counter said the decision to release the convicts had the Centre’s approval.