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."
"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.
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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.
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.