India, Oct. 30 -- The Supreme Court has granted bail to two convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case during the 2002 Gujarat riots, citing their long incarceration of 17 years, over two years after quashing the early release of 11 men serving life sentences in the matter.

The 11 men were convicted in 2008 of gang-raping a three-month pregnant Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her relatives, including her three-year-old daughter, during the riots that left 1,000 people dead. The Gujarat government ordered their release in August 2022, drawing condemnation.

The Supreme Court in 2024 said Gujarat lacked the authority to reduce the sentence since the trial had moved to Mumbai, which made Maharashtra responsible for the decision. It said ...