India: Release of rapists of pregnant Muslim woman causes public outrage

11 Hindu men, who were given life sentences for raping a pregnant Muslim woman in 2002 and killing seven of her family, have been released from prison. The rape took place during riots in Gujarat state, led at the time by Narendra Modi.

Indian activists and politicians have condemned the decision which was issued by a court in the western Indian state of Gujarat and caused outrage among the Muslim community.

The Hindu men, who were also convicted of killing seven of the woman’s family, were released on Monday under laws which allow convicts to seek remission after 14 years in jail, officials said.

The husband of the rape victim said that he and his wife had not been informed of the release through official channels.

“We have lost our family and want to live in peace, but suddenly this has happened,” the husband told Reuters news agency. “We had no prior information about their release, either from the courts or the government. We only learnt about it from the media.”

The president of the Muslim AIMIM party accused Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which still rules the state of Gujarat, of being indifferent to crimes against women when the victims are Muslim.