Hindu men who gang-raped Muslim woman released from jail on India’s independence day
- The 11 men were jailed for life in 2008. An official said the were released after considering the time they had spent in jail and their good behaviour
- Media footage showed a man feeding the convicts confectionery outside the jail after touching the feet of one of them, a mark of respect
Panchmahals’ top bureaucrat said on Tuesday that the district jail advisory committee had recommended the 11 men’s release after considering the time they had spent in jail and their good behaviour.
“The fact is they had spent close to 15 years in jail and were eligible for remission,” Sujal Jayantibhai Mayatra said.
Indian laws allow convicts to seek remission after 14 years in jail, officials said.
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Media footage showed a man feeding the convicts confectionery outside the jail after touching the feet of one of them, a mark of respect.
The husband of the victim said they were disappointed because the riots had also killed many family members.
“We have lost our family and want to live in peace, but suddenly this has happened,” Yakub Rasul said. “We had no prior information about their release, either from the courts or the government. We only learnt about it from the media.”
“The remission of the sentence of convicts of a gruesome crime like gang-rape and murder is morally and ethically improper,” said senior lawyer Anand Yagnik. “What is the signal we are trying to send?”