Tuesday, January 11 2005 21:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Zaheera Sheikh, prime witness in the Best bakery re-trial, today (Jan 11, 2005) denied before a special court in Mumbai that she knew the contents of the affidavit that she had filed before National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

After going through the contents of her affidavit filed before Shah and Nanavati Commission probing into the 2002 Gujarat riots, she also said that the facts in it were incorrect.

Zaheera, however, accepted that it was her signature on the affidavit but said that she had signed it on activist Teesta Setalvad's insistence who had not divulged the details of the affidavit to her.

Zaheera's cross-examination in Mumbai continued on the second day today after the court resumed after vacation. Her recording of evidence began on December 21 and she was declared hostile on the same day.

She had earlier charged Setalvad, who had initially helped her approach the Supreme Court against the acquittal of the 21 accused from the Vadodara fast track court, with having threatened her.

The Apex court had later transferred the case to Maharashtra for a re-trial.

The special court is conducting re-trial into the Best bakery carnage that occurred on March 1, 2002.