The Hindu : Bharat Shah, co-accused sentenced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 02, 2003

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National

Bharat Shah, co-accused sentenced

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI OCT. 1. Film financier and diamond king Bharat Shah, who was sentenced to a year's imprisonment today by the special judge would not have to go to jail since he remained imprisoned for 14 months. Mr. Shah was found guilty of having concealed information about the underworld's extortion bids on film personalities here.

But the judge, A.P. Bhangale, sentenced his co-accused, film producer Nasim Rizvi, and assistant Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan to six years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakhs on each of them. They would undergo one more year of RI in case of default in paying the fine.

The period of 32 months spent by the film producer and his assistant in jail during the trial would be set off. Mr. Bhangale had convicted all three yesterday. The police who had recorded their telephonic talks with the underworld don, Chhota Shakeel, now in Pakistan, had arrested them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA).

The judge ordered the court receiver to return Mr. Shah the amount he had invested in Rizvi's film, `Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' which he was accused of having financed on behalf of Chhota Shakeel.

Earlier, the court had permitted the exhibition of the film but its proceeds had to be kept with the court receiver. The film fetched Rs. 12 crores of which Rs. 11 crores would go to Mr. Shah, being the refund of his finance and the balance Rs. 1 crore would be deposited in the State treasury, said a film industry source.

Mr. Bhangale heard the accused before pronouncing the sentence. Mr. Shah told the court that he had not done anything wrong in life knowingly but expected justice for mistakes committed inadvertently. He submitted that he and his family had received threats from the underworld from 1997 and had suffered huge financial losses because of the charges for which he served 14 months in jail as an undertrial.

He left the court immediately after the sentence and the police took away the other two accused.

A relative of Nasim Rizvi said he was contemplating an appeal against the judgment.

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