Zaheera sent to Mumbai's Byculla jail

Mumbai: Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case, was on Wednesday, sent to the Byculla Jail after she appeared before a Mumbai court.

Zaheera appeared before the sessions court to reply to show-cause notices issued to her for making false statements during retrial in the case.

She had surrendered before the court on March 10 and was put in custody after the Supreme Court sentenced her to one year in prison for contempt of court.

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 in April.

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.

The SC had on March 8 indicted Zaheera as a 'self-condemned liar' in the case.

Fourteen people died when Best Bakery in Vadodara was set ablaze on March 1, 2002 during communal riots, which began after the Sabarmati Express train carnage.

Zaheera, who along with her family survived the fire, had moved the Supreme Court alleging that she had changed her statement in the case because she had been threatened.

All the 21 accused in the case were acquitted.

Zaheera again changed her statement and denied that she had been threatened. The Supreme Court reprimanded her for the flip-flops and sentenced her. Zaheera wanted to serve the jail term in Maharashtra.

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

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.

(With inputs from agencies)