Special Court sends Zaheera to Byculla Prison

Mumbai, Mar 29 (UNI) Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in Best Bakery case of Gujarat has been sent to Civil Prison at Byculla in South Central Mumbai to undergo simple imprisonment for one year which was awarded to her for contempt of Court by the Supreme Court on March eight.

Sending Zaheera to the Civil Prison, Additional Sessions Judge Abhay Thipsay said that she has to undergo the one year jail term including the period she has spent in police lock-up.

Two days after she had surrendered before the Special Court at Mazgaon, Zaheera had prayed that she be allowed to serve the prison term in Maharashtra, alleging that she feared for her life in Gujarat.

But, subsequently, she said she wanted to undergo the sentence in Gujarat, as Mumbai police would starve her to death.

When additional Public Prosecutor Anup Pande submitted to the Court, that she should be sent to Arthur Road Jail, the Judge observed that she has to undergo the sentence for filing a false affidavit in the Apex Court and not for having committed any offence of criminal nature.

The Judge further said that whether Zaheera undergoes prison term in Maharashtra or Gujarat would be decided on April seven.

Earlier, Zaheera's counsel Umesh Deshpande prayed to the court that the defence be granted one week's time to file reply to the perjury notice issued against Zaheera, her mother Sehrunnisa, brother Nasibullah and sister Sairabanu for giving false evidence during the re-trial since his senior counsel H H Ponda, who had been busy in other matters today, would appear in the case.

Nafitullah, another brother of Zeheera who had also been issued perjury notice, died recently.

Granting a week's time, Judge Thipsay adjourned the hearing till April seven.

Mr Thipsay, who had delivered the verdict in the case sentencing nine accused to life imprisonment and acquitting eight others on February 24, had issued perjury notices to the family members of Zaheera, asking why they should not be prosecuted for giving false evidence during the re-trial of the Best Bakery case.

UNI ST KD AG AD BST1522