Court extends Zaheera Sheikh's judicial custody till Mar 16

Mumbai, Mar 13 (UNI) A Mumbai court today extended judicial custody of Zaheera Sheikh, prime witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case, until March 16 here.

Additional Session Judge Abhay Thipsay also sent Zaheera to the Bhiwada police lock-up under judicial custody. She had surrendered before the court on March 10.

The judge has sought copy of a Supreme Court ruling of last week in which the Apex Court had sentenced the witness to a year's simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs.50,000 for her alleged flip-flops in the case. After receiving the copy of the ruling, the court is likely to take up the case as also Zaheera's application that she be not sent to Gujarat.

When Zaheera was brought to the court today, she broke down before the judge, who asked if she had any problems. She then sought a word with him in his chambers. Judge Thipsay then ordered a battery of mediapersons and others to leave the court and spoke with her for about two hours.

Zaheera had surrendered before the Mazgaon court around 1900 hours on March 10 after the Supreme Court's March eight order sentencing and fining her for making allegedly false statement before the apex court on oath through an affidavit. She had then moved an application in the Mumbai court praying that she be kept in Maharashtra only, rather than be sent to Gujarat.

Judge Thipsay had sent her to judicial custody till today and directed the police to produce her in the court on Monday to decide on her application.

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