Tuesday, December 21 2004 14:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Zaheera Sheikh, star witness in the Best Bakery case, was today (Dec 21, 2004) declared hostile by the prosecution after she resiled her police statement during the retrial in a special court in Mumbai.

Zaheera is the seventh witness to turn hostile.

Others who did not support the prosecution include Zaheera's mother Sehrunissa, sister, Saira, brothers, Nafitullah and Nasibullah and two independent witnesses.

During examination by prosecutor Manjula Rao, Zaheera told the designated judge Abhay Thipsay that her maternal uncle, Quaser, was not present in the Best Bakery when it was set on fire by a group of persons on March 1, 2002.

In her police statement, Zaheera had said that Quaser was present at the bakery at the time of the incident. In police records, however, he is shown as missing.

Zaheera further told the court that she had signed only one document and that was the FIR. However, Zaheera said, she did not know the contents of the FIR.

Zaheera, a key eye witness, also said she did not see anything on the day when the Best Bakery was set on fire as there was lot of smoke and fire all around and missiles were thrown by the mob at the terrace of the bakery where she and others had taken shelter.

Zaheera said only her sister Sabira was on the first floor of the bakery when it was set on fire. However, police records show that Sabira and some others including Shabnam and Ruksana, were present on the first floor.

Soon after this, the prosecutor declared her hostile as she did not support the prosecution's case.

Altogether 14 persons died when the bakery was set afire on March 1, 2002 by an irate mob in the post-Godhra riots. A total of 22 accused are facing the trial.

In a U-turn on November 3, Zaheera filed an affidavit before Vadodara collector saying she was pressurised by NGO activist Teesta Setalvad to name innocent persons as accused before the special court in Mumbai conducting the re-trial.

Zaheera had also denied meeting BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA Madhu Shrivastav, who she had alleged to have threatened her from stating the truth before Vadodara fast track court.

In another turnaround, she had also said that the judgement passed by the Fast Track Court Judge H U Mahida was correct.

With Teesta's support, Zaheera had earlier moved the Supreme Court for its re-trial outside Gujarat. Following her petition, the apex court had ordered transfer of the case to a Mumbai court and also rapped the State Government regarding protection to riot witnesses.