SC asks Guj govt to pay Rs 50 lakh compensation to Bilkis Bano

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday in its interim directions asked the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis Yakub Rasool, (also known as Bilkis Bano), who was gang-raped in 2002 during the post-Godhra riots.

A bench of the Top Court, headed by Chief Justice  Ranjan Gogoi, asked the Gujarat Government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis Bano. The Apex Court also directed the Gujarat government to provide Bano with a government job and accommodation as she was having a nomadic life since 2002.

"We direct the Gujarat Government to give a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the petitioner, Bilkis Bano," the bench of the Top court said. Gujarat government informed the Apex court that the guilty officials, who had tried to tamper with evidence in the Bilkis gang-rape case, many of them have been stripped off entire pensionary benefits. An IPS officer has been demoted by two ranks.

Earlier, the Apex Court had directed to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh, but Bilkis Bano refused to accept it. She then filed a petition seeking enhancement of the compensation amount. (UNI)