National: Supreme Court delays ruling on the release of men convicted in Bilkis Bano gangrape case

The Supreme Court of India has deferred its decision on petitions challenging the remission of sentences for 11 convicts involved in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat genocide. The court has instructed the Union and Gujarat governments to submit the original records related to the remission by October 16. The 11-day-long hearing, which began in August, featured arguments from Bilkis Bano's counsel,

lawyers for the Centre, the Gujarat government, and PIL petitioners. The convicts were released by the state government last year, sparking widespread outrage and protests.