Zahida Pervez, 3 others convicted for Shehla Masood murder

Over five years after RTI activist Shehla Masood was shot dead in Bhopal, a CBI court today convicted interior designer Zahida Pervez and three other accused for the murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Judge B K Paloda, presiding over the special CBI court here, pronounced Zahida, the prime accused, and three others -- her friend Saba Farooqui, Saqib Ali alias 'Danger' and Tabish -- guilty in the high-profile case.
In his order running into 92 pages, the judge said, "The prosecution has proved that Zahida hatched a plan to kill Shehla and for this she took help of her friend Saba."

"For this Saqib was paid supari (contract to kill). He roped in his friends Irfan and Tabish who arranged for revolver, bullets and motorbike," the order stated.
"Tabish with unlicensed firearm shot dead Shehla. The motorbike used in the crime was painted with a different colour to destroy the evidence and parked at a deserted place. Saba and Zahida were involved in the crime," the judge observed. However, the court pardoned Irfan, a Kanpur resident, who later turned approver.
According to the agency, Zahida (40), with the help of her friend Saba, approached Saqib (42), a criminal, to eliminate Shehla as she was jealous of the latter's growing proximity with former BJP MLA Dhruvnarayan Singh with whom the interior designer shared a close camaraderie.

Zahida, her friend Saba (36), Tabish (31) and Saqib were convicted under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), among others, and awarded life term.

Pardoning Irfan, under relevant sections of CrPC, the Judge observed that he turning an approver wholly backed the prosecution's claim. He was accused in Shehla's killing for the lust of money.
"The prosecution convinced the Court that Zahida, out of jealousy, hired the killers to get rid of Shehla due to the latter's growing intimacy with the then BJP MLA Singh," CBI Special Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar told reporters here.
The central agency produced 80 witnesses in the court during the trial that lasted for five years.

Shehla was shot dead in broad daylight on August 16, 2011 close to her house in Koh-e-Fiza area of Bhopal.
Unhappy with the court's judgement, Zahida told reporters, "I am surprised at the verdict."
A large number of people were present outside the special court where tight security was made.
Meanwhile, defence lawyers Sanjay Sharma and Sunil Shrivastava said they are going to challenge the verdict against their clients in the High Court.