Tuesday, December 21 2004 22:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Turning hostile during the Best Bakery retrial, prime witness Zaheera Sheikh today (Dec 21, 2004) told court that her press conference in Mumbai, where she had first made allegations of being threatened, was conducted at the instance of activist Teesta Setalvad and that she did whatever her former mentor asked her to do.

Zaheera told the special court that she did not even know the meaning of a press conference when she was first brought before the media by the activist.

She added that she did not remember what she had said at that press conference.

Zaheera said that she had gone to her native after her deposition in Vadodara and returned only after a month when she was contacted by Raees Khan who brought her to Mumbai and introduced her to Setalvad.

Zaheera's mother has levelled allegations against Khan. She had said that Khan along with Setalvad had threatened her and her family with death.

She said that Setalvad promised her that she would get the bakery and the house repaired and said, "Setalvad told me that she would treat me like her daughter."

Zaheera added that Setalvad asked her to do whatever was asked of her by the activist. She said that her statements were made at the instance of Setalvad.

She also said that she first met Setalvad in a hotel in Juhu and added that she stayed alone in Yari road for about seven months.

The witness added that in that period she was not allowed to meet anyone.