During the 2002 Gujarat riots, Bilkis Bano, who was five months pregnant, fled her home in Randhikpur village with her 3-year-old daughter, husband, and other family members. In the Chhaparvad district, a mob of 20-30 men attacked their group, resulting in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano, her mother, and three other women. 

Tragically, seven family members, including her 3-year-old daughter, were killed by the mob.

Facing rejection by local police, Bilkis Bano sought help from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 2003 and later appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take up the case, leading to the apprehension of all accused in 2004. The trial was moved from Ahmedabad to Mumbai to prevent evidence tampering.

In 2008, 13 individuals were convicted on charges of rape, murder, and conspiracy, with 11 receiving life sentences. Attempts to overturn the judgment were unsuccessful, and in 2017, the Bombay High Court upheld the life sentences for the 11 convicts.

In 2022, one of the convicts sought early release after serving 15 years, prompting the Gujarat government to release all 11 convicts on August 15, 2022, under its remission policy. However, public backlash and opposition petitions followed this decision.

In 2022, Bilkis Bano appealed to the Supreme Court to review the Gujarat government's decision. The Supreme Court took up the matter in March 2023, hearing arguments from the Centre and Gujarat government and requesting the presentation of original documents supporting the decision.

On January 8, 2024, the Supreme Court decided to dismiss the remission of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case, ordering them to surrender to the authorities within two weeks.