Perjury proceedings against Zaheera adjourned again

Mumbai, Apr 21: A Special Court here today further adjourned perjury proceedings to April 25 against Best Bakery case prime witness Zaheera Sheikh and her kin.

Additional Sessions Judge Abhay Thipsay, who presided over the retrial, informed defence counsel Umesh Deshpande that summary of charges specifying false statements allegedly made by Zaheera during the retrial of the case was not ready and would be supplied to them on April 25, and adjourned the matter till then.

Mr Thipsay had issued perjury notices under section 344 of CrPC to Zaheera, her mother Sehrunnisa, sister Sairabanu and brother Nasibullah, asking why action should not be taken against them for giving 'false evidence and misleading' the court during retrial of the case.

He had issued the perjury notices on February 24 while sentencing nine people to life imprisonment and acquitting eight others out of the total 21 accused. Four accused are still absconding.

Retrial of the Best Bakery case, in which 14 people were burnt to death by a mob on March 1, 2002 at Vadodara, was held on the order of the Supreme Court after Zaheera and a voluntary group had appealed against acquittal of all accused by a Vadodara's fast track court. The Gujarat High Court had upheld the order of the trial court.

On March 8, the Apex Court had sentenced Zaheera to one year imprisonment for contempt of court. She is undergoing the sentence in Byculla civil jail here.

UNI