Indore: The main accused in RTI activist
Shehla Masood murder case Zahida Pervez on Wednesday recorded her
statement before the special court here even as her assistant
Saba Farooqui refused doing so.
"Zahida today recorded her statement in the
closed-door hearing before the Special CBI court of Judicial
Magistrate Dr Subhra Singh," senior public prosecutor Hemant
Shukla told reporters.
Zahida, an architect from Bhopal, is accused of
plotting the killing of the 32-year-old activist, allegedly
over her growing "closeness" with BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh
who was today subjected to polygraph test by CBI in Delhi.
Zahida had earlier agreed to undergo lie-detection
test but later changed her stand.
"Zahida recorded her statement under section 164 of
CrPc," Shukla said.
Zahida`s assistant Saba Farooqui, who is also an
accused in the case, however, refused to record her statement.
"Yesterday, Saba had agreed to make a statement under
section 164 of CrPC but today she refused recording it (the
statement). It is up to her whether to make the statement
during the proceedings now or later on," Shukla said.
Alike Zahida, Saba too had refused undergoing the
Polygraph test.
Earlier, the accused duo of Zahida and Saba were
brought to the special court here from Indore district jail
where they are lodged under judicial custody which expires on
March 26.
The third accused and alleged contract killer Shaikb
`Danger`, who was remanded in judicial custody yesterday, had
told the court that he would record his statement after ten
day. He is lodged in the Indore Central Jail.
Meanwhile, Nafisa Khan, counsel for Zahida and Saba,
said, "CBI has failed to found out the truth even after
keeping the women in their custody for 14 days".
Meanwhile, replying to a query, Khan said, "the
statement was recorded in the closed door...usne kya bayan
diya...court ke paas hai (whatever statement she has given is
with the court). I will seek a copy of her statement from the
court in a day or so".
When asked whether Saba would make any statement under
section 164 of CrPC, the counsel replied,"I do not know...She
may or may not, it is up to her".
When media persons tried to speak to Zahida after she
emerged out from the court after recording her statement, she
replied, "jab maine jurm kiya hi nahin to kabool kyon
karoongi" (what will I confess when I have not committed any
crime).
Shehla was shot dead outside her residence at posh
Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal on August 16, 2011.
PTI
