Zaheera Shaikh appears before court on perjury charges

Prime witness in the Best Bakery case Zaheera Shaikh and her brother Nasibullah on Wednesday appeared before a special court to answer the charges of perjury but the matter was deferred to April 21 as the particulars on the basis of which they are being tried have not been supplied to them.

The designated Judge Abhay Thipsay said the court would furnish them the particulars about perjury charges on April 21 and adjourned the matter until then. Zaheera's mother Sahrunnisa and sister Sahira, who have also been issued perjury notices, did not appear but were represented by advocate Umesh Deshpande.

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Zaheera, who is undergoing one-year imprisonment imposed on her by the Supreme Court for contempt of court, was produced amidst tight security.

Thipsay said the court would give them particulars of perjury charges on April 21 and posted the matter for hearing on the same day as the trio sought time to prepare themselves for the inquiry to be held against them.

The judge had observed on earlier occasion, "It is very obvious that they have lied before the court. Zaheera has said she did not know whether she had lodged the FIR in this case.

She had also denied knowing the accused and also said she was not aware whether she had moved the Supreme Court.

"All these statements made by Zaheera during retrial in the court here shows that she had lied... no doubt she was a victim but I am sure she was tutored by someone. After making such statements she cannot escape perjury proceedings", the Judge had remarked.