Zaheera moves SC, prays for exemption of fine

New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) The key witness in Best Bakery case, Zaheera Sheikh, has moved the Supreme Court praying for exemption from paying a fine of Rs 50,000 imposed on her for contempt of court.

The Supreme Court had sentenced Zaheera to one year simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000 on March 8, 2006 for misleading the Court.

It may be noted here that the change of statement by Zaheera before the trial court led to the acquittal of all the accused persons including BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastava in Best Bakery case in which about a dozen persons were charred to death during the 2002 Gujarat communal violence, which was sparked off by the Godhra incident.

Acquittal of the accused led to such a public outcry that the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission Justice A S Anand moved the Supreme Court praying for reinvestigation and retrial in the case.

The Supreme Court for the first time, using its power under Article 142 of the Constitution ordered reinvestigation and retrial and also shifted the trial of the case from Gujarat to Maharashtra.

Zaheera backed out from her statement made in the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court following which Contempt of Court proceedings were initiated against her for 'perjury'.

The Court had also ordered the Income Tax department to freeze all her bank accounts.

Zaheera, who is serving her sentence in a Maharashtra jail has prayed for waiving off the penalty on the ground of poverty and her inability to pay the fine.

The application is likely to come up for hearing next week.

UNI AKS/SC SAM RP PM1901