Mumbai, Jan. 11: The Federation of Maharashtra Muslims has said that the Supreme Court has restored the dignity of the judiciary by rejecting the release of Balkis Bano’s convicts. The Federation further said that in this era, while the public’s trust in the judiciary is weakening, the Supreme Court’s decision to declare the remission of criminals illegal and send them back to jail is valuable.
The Supreme Court on January 8 gave the verdict on the petitions challenging the acquittal of the guilty in the case of the rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of 7 members of her family during the riots in Gujarat in 2002. After the decision of the court, these accused will have to go back to jail.
The Federation of Maharashtra Muslims, while welcoming the said decision, also said that punishment demoralizes criminals and anti-social elements of criminal mindset. On the other hand, if the criminals are not punished, the morale of the people of such mentality is high. We see that due to the weakening of the judiciary, there is a strange chaos in the society. The Federation hoped that in the light of the above decision of the Supreme Court, the subordinate courts will try to fulfill the demands of justice. They have to try to restore the weak confidence of the people towards the judiciary.
The joint press statement of the Federation of Maharashtra Muslims was signed by Maulana Ilyas Khan Falahi, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maharashtra; Maulana Dr Mahmood Ahmed Daryaabadi, General Secretary Ulema Council; Abu Asim Azmi, MLA and President Samajwadi Party Maharashtra; Maulana Hafiz Syed Athar, President Ulama Association, Mumbai; Maulana Halimullah Qasmi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Maharashtra; Farid Shaikh, President, Peace Committee, Mumbai; Abdul Hafeez Patrkar Jalna; Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi, Vice President Shia Personal Law Board; Dr. Saeed Ahmed Faizi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ahle Hadith Maharashtra; Maulana Mufti Huzaifa Qasmi, Nazim Tanzeem Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind Maharashtra, Maulana Agha Rooh Zafar, Imam Khwaja Jamaat Mumbai; Maulana Anees Ashrafi, Raza Foundation Mumbai; Maulana Nizamuddin Fakhruddin, Member Muslim Personal Law Board, Pune; Humayun Sheikh, Nazim Mumbai Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Sheikh Abdul Mujeeb, Coordinator of Federation of Maharashtra Muslims; and Shakir Shaikh, Co-coordinator of Federation of Maharashtra Muslims.
