In yet another volte-face, Zaheera Shaikh, sentenced to one-year jail for her flip flops in the Best Bakery case and for contempt of court, on Thursday informed a sessions court in Mumbai that she wanted to spend the jail term in Vadodara and therefore may be handed over to Gujarat police.
When Zaheera had surrendered before the court here on March 10 in keeping with the Supreme Court order, she urged for serving sentence in a Maharashtra jail and not in Gujarat prison as she apprehended threat to her life.
As Zaheera did the turnaround on Thursday, the court decided to keep her in custody till March 20 because Gujarat police was not present and also because it was awaiting Supreme Court directives on the manner in which the sentence awarded to Zaheera should be executed.
Appearing before Judge Abhay Thipsay, Zaheera broke down and said, "They will kill me here they are not providing good food and also not allowing me to perform namaz. I want to go to Vadodara."
As Zaheera was in tears, the Judge inquired from the policemen of Bhoiwada lock-up where she is lodged about the facilities provided to her. Zaheera pointed at a woman constable and complained, "Madam keeps shouting at me."
The constable then told the court that Zaheera was demanding non-vegetarian food and also a duppatta (scarf) for offering namaz. Zaheera was also demanding that she may be allowed to sit outside the lock up. These facilities could not be provided in the lock up, the constable said.
The judge explained to Zaheera that she had to undergo sentence because Supreme Court had punished her. He also issued directions to police to allow Zaheera perform namaz and have home food in the lock up.
