Police have detained social activist Sandeep Pandey and three others ahead of a march planned on Monday to express solidarity with Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven of her family members murdered during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Magsaysay award recipient Pandey and the other activists were to participate in the march, titled “Apologising to Bilkis Bano”.

It was planned after the 11 convicts were freed.

The march was set to be taken out from her native village in the neighbouring Dahod district on Monday under the banner of the Hindu-Muslim Ekta Samiti. It was to conclude in Ahmedabad on October 4.

The Hindu-Muslim Ekta Samiti in a statement condemned the police action.

It said the march was planned to apologise to Bilkis after the Gujarat government on August 15 this year released 11 convicts in the case under its remission policy.

“We only wish to apologise to Bilkis for whatever has happened to her and wish such heinous acts do not happen in an otherwise peaceful state of Gujarat,” the organisation said in the statement.