Shehla Masood

On 28 January 2017, CBI court in Bhopal convicted four people for murder and criminal conspiracy for the murder of Masood. Another accused was pardoned because he turned approver.

In an indication of the seriousness of this high-profile murder, for which no arrests were made in the initial days, the Government of Madhya Pradesh transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The CBI called a forensic team headed by Professor T D Dogra and Rajinder Singh, Director CFSL Delhi. On 28 February 2012 Central Bureau of Investigation claims to have cracked the case and arrested a Bhopal-based interior designer Mrs Zahida Parvez and three accomplices who were hired to kill Masood. The interior designer's employee and friend who presumably had information about the murder plan was arrested on 2 March 2012. The interior designer had given the contract to Bhopal-based criminal Saqib 'Danger', known for his connections with the local BJP party in Madhya Pradesh, who further contracted it to Tabish (his cousin) based in Kanpur. The vehicle used in the getaway has been found. One of the accused arrested named Irfan had said that he did not shoot Masood but his colleague Shanu did. However, further investigation revealed when cousin of Bhopal builder Saqib 'Danger' Tabish was arrested that Shanu did not shoot Masood it was Irfan who did. Zahida and Irfan have recorded their statements in front of the CBI Magistrate. Meanwhile, the murder weapon has been found and has been sent for forensic testing. The motive behind the murder as pointed by the CBI is Zahida was obsessed and very close with a Bhopal BJP [MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh], Zahida was very disturbed with the closeness of Shehla Masood and BJP MLA. [1]. Zahida decided to eliminate Masood. Some of the diary contents recovered by the CBI from Zahida's office reveal this motive. Nothing in support of the assumption has been found. Polygraph tests are being conducted on few accused and the MLA however results are yet to be known. Later CBI gives clean chit to BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh due to lack of evidence against him.[2]

Shehla Masood (1973–2011) was an Indian environmentalist, wildlife and Right to Information activist. She was shot dead on 16 August 2011 in front of her house in Bhopal while she was sitting in her car, by three persons who were hired by a local female interior designer. Crime Patrol Dial 100 aired episode 735 based on the case.

On 16 August 2011 at around 11:19 AM, she was shot by an unidentified assailant from point blank range. Masood was about to leave in her car when she was shot in the driver's seat.

She was the secretary of NGO Udai and was the CEO of a company called 'Miracles' which was involved in "Events and Media related services", according to her public Linked profile. NGO Udai was created in 2004, it recently ventured into tiger and forest conservation.