Eleven of those convicted for the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members in March 2002 walked out of Godhra Sub Jail on August 16 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old at the time of the crime. She was also five months pregnant when she was gang-raped.

In this video, The Wire explains why Bilkis Bano's case is significant. It also discusses why the convicts were let off despite the Union government's guidelines on its remission policy, saying that rape convicts were not eligible for the release.

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