Best Bakery: Perjury trial adjourned to June 5

Mumbai, May 19: A special court today adjourned the perjury trial hearing against Zahira and her two family members, for giving false evidence during re-trial of Best Bakery case till June 5, following the filing of a revision application before the Bombay High Court challenging the verdict of special court.

Special Court Judge Abhay Thipsay, however, dismissed an application filed by their advocate Umesh Deshpande two days back seeking stay of the perjury trial proceedings in view of their filing a revision application in the High Court.

Adjourning the trial proceeding, Mr Thipsay directed the advocate to bring the stay order from the high court, otherwise he will continue to hear the perjury trial and no more adjournments will be entertained thereafter.

Mr Thipsay had issued perjury notice under section 344 of CRPC for giving false evidence during re-trial of the case against Zahira, her mother Sehrunissa, brother Nassibullah and sister Saherabanu.

However, the Special court on May 16 convicted Sehrunissa, mother of prime witness Zahira Sheikh in best bakery case to three months rigorous imprisonment and pay fine of Rs 500 under perjury charges.

The court, however, granted one month time to her to challenge the order in the higher court as sought by her and she was released on a personal bond.

Mr Deshpande later told reporters that the court had made several adverse remarks against his clients, who were the prosecution witness in the case, therefore, his clients has challenged all the adverse remarks made against them.

The special court here, which conducted retiral into the Best Bakery case of Vadodara had convicted nine accused to life imprisonment while acquitting eight others.

The seventeen had been re-arrested after their acquittal by a fast track court in Vadodara due to lack of evidence while Four others are still absconding.

Zahira, meanwhile, is serving a year's imprisonment at the Byculla jail here for contempt of court, awarded by the Supreme Court on March 8.

UNI