NEW DELHI: Nine of the 11 criminals ordered by the Supreme Court to surrender in jail concerning the Bilkis Bano case are reportedly missing from Randikpur and Singhwad villages in Gujarat. Among them, Govind Nai departed home on January 6 while Radheshyam Shah has been absent for 15 months, leaving with his family their whereabouts unknown.

The court's decision to nullify leniency for all 11 convicts mandates their surrender within two weeks. As the trial occurred in Maharashtra, the state holds jurisdiction over sentence commutation potentially prompting the convicts to approach the Maharashtra government.

Police presence has been heightened in the vicinity of the criminals' residences with Gujarat Dahod SP Balram Meena noting that several convicts maintain close ties with relatives. The SP further mentioned that they are yet to receive the Supreme Court's directive on surrender.