New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (Apr 12, 2004) quashed the acquittal of all the 21 accused in the Best Bakery case and shifted fresh trial of the case to Maharashtra.

Allowing two appeals filed by key witnesses Zahira Sheikh and Gujarat Government, a bench comprising Justice D Raju and A Pasayat directed reinvestigation into the case, in which many inhabitants of Best Bakery were burnt alive during the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in March 2002.

The apex court directed that public prosecutor in the case will be changed and the new one will take necessary follow up action for retrial as well as reinvestigation of the case.

The Gujarat High Court while upholding the trial court's order acquitting all the 21 accused had passed certain remarks questioning the credibility of the activists, including Teesta Shetalvad, who were helping the victims.

The Supreme Court allowed an appeal filed by Shetalvad and expunged the "objectionable" remarks passed by the High Court.