Over five years after RTI activist Shehla Masood was shot dead in Bhopal, a CBI court on Saturday 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.

Source :Times Of Oman