Monday, June 12 2006 16:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Finding Zaheera Shaikh guilty of giving false evidence in the Best Bakery case, a sessions court today (June 12, 2006) sentenced her to three months rigorous imprisonment and asked her to pay fine of Rs 500.

However, the three-month sentence would begin after Zaheera completes one year jail term currently undergoing in Byculla prison in keeping with the Supreme Court order for committing contempt of court.

Judge Abhay Thipsay also ordered Zaheera to undergo 10 days additional jail term in case of default for payment of fine.

Before delivering verdict on charges of perjury (giving false evidence), the judge asked Zaheera whether she had to say anything. Zaheera stepped into witness box and said, "I do not wish to say anything."

Outside the court, Zaheera's lawyer Umesh Deshpande said he would file an appeal in the Bombay high court soon. He said Zaheera had indicated to him about filing an appeal but a final decision would be taken after he meets her in jail this weekend.

Earlier, the court has sentenced Zaheera's mother Sehrunissa and sister Sahira to three months RI and imposed Rs 500 fine on each of them on similar charges of giving false evidence.

However, the court did not award punishment on Zaheera's brother Nasibullah although he found him guilty saying the court would await report of a probation officer considering his young age.

Zaheera and her family members had pleaded not guilty to the charges proposed against them by the court for giving false evidence in the Best Bakery case.

Judge Abhay Thipsay, while delivering the judgement in the Best Bakery case on February 24, had issued notices to Zaheera and others asking them to show cause why action should not be taken against them for giving false evidence.

Thipsay has charged Zaheera with falsely stating in the court that she had not lodged the First Information Report regarding the Best bakery incident and that she was unaware of the document (FIR) although it had her signature.

The Judge also charged Zaheera with telling a lie during the re-trial that she had not told Vadodara court earlier about talking to police regarding the Best Bakery incident. He referred to Vadodara court proceedings which indicated that she had indeed told police about it.

Thipsay further charged Zaheera with making a false statement before him during re-trial that she was not aware of the outcome of verdict of Vadodara court which had acquitted the accused in Best bakery case as she and other witnesses had turned hostile.

Explaining the charges to Zaheera, he said she had given a false statement that she was not aware of what happened to the case after it was over in Vadodara court and she had also falsely feigned ignorance about the reason as to why the case was being tried again in Mumbai.

The Judge said Zaheera had turned around by initially stating in evidence that she had not named anyone as offenderor culprit before any authority or the media but later saying on oath that she had named certain persons as offenders on being tutored by different persons.