New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to reduce the one-year sentence and fine of Rs 50,000 imposed on Best Bakery case key witness Zaheera Sheikh for contempt of court.
A Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice H K Sema held there was no merit in Zaheera's application seeking to reduce the sentence awarded to her by its March 8 verdict.
The Bench, however, gave Zaheera's counsel D K Garg, the liberty to approach the court with the petition seeking review of the judgment.
While dismissing her application seeking modification of the judgment, the Bench observed that though she says she was the victim of manipulation by politicians, she has preferred not to name them.
"She should have come out with the truth. We wanted to know who were the people who manipulated," the Bench further observed and added that "even after the judgment, she could have said (about those who manipulated)."
Zaheera's counsel said she was exploited by everybody and the application was just a mercy plea. He said a month ago her brother had also died.
Garg in the application had said she was a minor when she made the false statements before the Court and that her health had deteriorated as a result of the stress she had to undergo during the past few years.
Zaheera, who had turned hostile in the Bakery case and was found to be a 'self-condemned liar' by a high-powered committee appointed by the court, was sentenced to one-year simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for contempt of court.
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