With the apex court setting aside the Gujarat High Court’s order and granting regular bail to the social activist accused of fabricating evidence linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots, another chapter in the long running saga has begun. The court is now hearing an appeal by Rahul Gandhi challenging the High Court’s refusal to stay his conviction
State governments have over the years made changes in remission policies knowing that the criminal justice system has come a long way from using punishment for instilling fear to understanding punishment as a penance that aims to persuade offenders to repent, reform and reconcile. Yet the question that remains unanswered is—will a leopard ever change its spots?
The apex court came down on the Gujarat government for its decision to allow the release of 11 life convicts in the case. The Court said that the judicial order required convicts to be in jail for the rest of their natural life, but they were released by an executive order. It observed, “today it is this lady (Bilkis). Tomorrow, it can be you or me. There must be objective standards”.