One of the convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape and murder of her family members case, freed last year under Gujarat's remission policy, has shared the stage with BJP MP Jaswant Bhabhor and his MLA brother Shailesh Bhabhor at a government event held at Limkheda in Dahod district of the state.

When contacted and asked whether he attended the program on Saturday, the convict, Shailesh Bhatt, said he went there for "puja" ritual but refused to elaborate.