Vadodara police not to demand Zaheera's custody: CP

Vadodara, Mar 10 (UNI) Vadodara Police Commissioner Deepak Swaroop today said the city crime branch team, which was camping in Mumbai to arrest the Best Bakery prime witness Zaheera Sheikh and serve perjury notices to four of her family members issued earlier by the special court in Mumbai, would stay there till the Mazgaon court takes a final decision about her custody.

The police chief said since the Mazgaon court today had sent Zaheera to judicial custody till Monday awaiting certain clarification on the Supreme Court's order of March eight, the Vadodara police team would remain there till the disposal of the matter.

Asked if the Vadodara police would press for Zaheera's custody when the matter would come up for hearing on Monday, Mr Swaroop said, ''We are not going to demand her custody. It is upto the court to take a decision on it.'' After remaining underground for two days following her conviction by the Supreme Court for contempt of court, Zaheera, the most controversial witness in the Best bakery carnage case, surrendered before the Mazgaon court in Mumbai this evening to be sent to judicial custody till Monday.

As soon as the apex court's order reached the office of the Vadodara police commissioner yesterday, a special team of city crime branch was rushed to Mumbai with her arrest warrant. The team was also given the perjury notices of the Mazgaon court to be personally served to Zaheera, her mother Sehrunissa, sister Saheera, and two brothers--Nasibullah and Nafitullah, who passed away a week ago.

The Mumbai Special court had issued the perjury notices against the five key hostile witnesses of the Sheikh family on February 24 after convicting nine of the 21 accused in the Best bakery case of March one, 2002.

Vadodara Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) Inspector K B Jadeja said the perjury notices issued against the accused for repeatedly retracting their statements, had been served to Zaheera's sister Saheera and brother Nasibulla. However, it was not immediately known whether such notices were served to Zaheera and her mother Sehrunissa, who were reportedly absconding since March five.

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