Mumbai: Expressing displeasure over defiant attitude of Sehrunissa Shaikh, mother of prime witness in the Best Bakery case Zahira Sheikh, a special court today (Dec 16, 2004) fined her Rs 100 for contempt after it held that she had caused intentional interruption of the proceedings.

The court imposed a fine of Rs 100 on Sehrunissa after reading her reply to a show cause notice issued to her earlier in the day.

She will have to undergo three-day punishment if she fails to pay the fine, the judge ruled.

Sehrunissa was earlier taken into custody after she insulted the court by putting up a defiantly attitude before it.

The court was infuriated when, while tendering her evidence, she suddenly turned to her right and pointing at NGO activist Teesta Setalvad's associate Raees Khan, saying that he was making faces at her and gesturing at her.

The judge then warned her that she could be held for contempt to which Sehrunissa replied, "Please take action against me."

The court said that it would have been impossible for her to look at Khan without turning at least 90 degrees and said that her actions were a deliberate attempt to disrupt the court proceedings.

The court also took exception to the fact that Sehrunissa had been defiantly challenging it to take action against her.