Rs 50 lakh, job, house to Bilkis Bano in 2 weeks: SC tells Gujarat government

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Gujarat government to give within two weeks Rs 50 lakh compensation, a job and an accommodation of choice to Bilkis Bano, who was gang raped when she was five months pregnant during the 2002 riots in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Gujarat government as to why it has not complied with the apex court's earlier order of April 23 and given the compensation to Bano.

"Why has the compensation not been paid?," the bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the state.

At the outset, advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bano, told the bench that despite the top court's order the Gujarat government has not provided anything to her.

Mehta told the bench that compensation of Rs 50 lakh was not provided in the victim compensation scheme of Gujarat, and the state would also like to file a plea seeking review of the top court's April order.

"No. Why you have not paid the compensation?," the bench said, adding that "should we note in the order that the compensation has been ordered keeping in view the peculiar facts of the case".

Mehta agreed to this but said some more time was needed to provide her a job. "Even two weeks time is not needed," the bench said.

Later, Mehta gave an undertaking to the court that the compensation, job and accommodation would be given to Bano within two weeks.