Sahirabanu gets 3 months suspended sentence

Mumbai, June 8 (UNI) Additional Sessions Judge, Abhay Tipsay today ordered a suspended sentence of three months and a fine of rupees 500 to Sahirabanu, sister of Zahira Shaikh prime witness in the Best Bakery Case.

However, she was granted bail against Rs 4,000 till July 10.

Meanwhile considering the fact that Zahira's brother Nashibullah Shaikh's is a minor the court asked a probation report before deciding the quantum of his punishment.

Sahirabanu had made several contradictory depositions during the course of trial and retrail.

Justice Tipsay, in his order observed that accused Sahirabanu had definite desire to obstruct the course of retrail by attempting to project that the retrail was unnecessarily ordered.

Further, the accused had admitted to having made false statements, justification and excuses thereafter were unacceptable to the court.

The perusal of records clearly showed that Sahirabanu lied on several occasions.

The accused with a clear intention made false statements on particular aspects of the case, while being in a proper condition to defend herself.

The denial of any knowledge about the police case lodged by sister Zahira cannot be accepted, as both the accused and Zahira were together before, after and during the incident.

Another statement by accused that the case was limited only to damages and losses of Best bakery was false as a number of people were killed in the bakery.

Also, that the accused had no knowledge of rioters and their location is also considered false. The demand of the accused that her statement is true in the light of the case cannot be accepted, the court said.

Similarly, the statement denying knowledge of sister Sabina's death during the incident cannot be accepted by the court.

Hence, it becomes clear that Sahirabanu intentionally lied a number of times to suppress facts known to her, as a result charges against the accused stand proved.

UNI GVS KU ARB PM1800