Mumbai: An eyewitness in the Best Bakery case today (Nov 2, 2004) admitted before a special court that he had falsely deposed saying he stayed in his native place after the incident on March 1, 2002 when a violent crowd destroyed the bakery in Vadodara and killed 14 persons.

Replying to questions put by a defence lawyer in cross-examination, the witness, Raes Khan, said he was working in a bar in Ulhasnagar town of Thane district until recently.

Earlier, he had told the prosecution that soon after the ill-fated incident, he left Vadodara and went straight to his native place from where he did not move until he came Mumbai to depose before the court.

Raes Khan, a bakery worker, is the second eyewitness to depose before the court. Yesterday, he identified five witnesses, three of whom were earlier identified by the first eyewitness, Toufel Ahmed Habibullah.

Toufel identified seven accused saying they were part of the crowd, which attacked the bakery.