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Legal Correspondent
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Zahira Sheikh, key witness in the Best Bakery case, for certain averments in her review petition. The petition sought modification of the Court order of March 8, sentencing her to undergo one year imprisonment and levying a fine of Rs. 50,000 for filing flip flop statements on affidavits. Zahira wanted the sentence reduced, stating that she has already undergone imprisonment, and exemption from paying the fine. A Bench, comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and H.K. Sema, referred to certain portions in the petition and told counsel D.K. Garg: ``If Zahira was really a victim of circumstances, she should have named the politicians who had exploited her. We can't entertain this petition in its present form. You name the politicians who had exploited her and we will take care of them." Mr. Garg said he would file an affidavit deleting the objectionable passages and the Bench granted 10 days time for doing so. Zahira submitted that when the incident happened on March 1, 2002, she was only 16 years. A month earlier her father died, leaving behind five children of tender age. Her elder brother Nafitullah died on March 2. Zahira said she was a victim of circumstances. She and her entire family had tendered unconditional apology for acts of omissions on their part. She had not committed mistakes advertently, she said and urged the Court to take into consideration all these factors and reduce the sentence.
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