Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed her party Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s victory in the Supreme Court judgement, which overturned Gujarat government's decision to release 11 convicts in the case pertaining to the rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 communal riot in the western state.

Addressing a gathering at an administrative meeting, Mamata said, "We should remember former TMC MP Mahua Moitra was one of the petitioners against the release of the convicts. She was also a party to the case.

"It is TMC's big victory."

The top court on Monday said the Gujarat government is not competent to grant remission to the convicts.

Bano was 21 years old and was five months pregnant when she was gang raped.

The 11 convicts allegedly killed seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Photo courtesy: UNI

The state government and the convicts, however, argued that the remission was considered after the May 2022 judgment by the Supreme Court, which directed the Gujarat government to decide the remission of one of the convicts, Radheshyam Bhagwandas Shah, under the 1992 remission plea within two months.

This triggered action by the state government to consider the release of all convicts under the 1992 policy, the state submitted.