Thursday, January 13 2005 11:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Zaheera Sheikh, prime witness in the Best Bakery re-trial, yesterday (Jan 12, 2005) said that she was tutored before giving her statement before the Nanavati Commission and said that the names of the accused given by her at that time had been told to her by the people of her community.

She, however, said that she has forgotten those names now and does not remember most of the things that she had then stated.

Zaheera said that she told the commission about the attack, the fire in her bakery, injury to her brothers and the compensation that she received for the damage to the bakery.

She also denied knowing about Panigate police station, which is close to the bakery.

Incidentally, the FIR in the case has been registered by the Panigate police station.

The defence objected to the questions being posed by special prosecutor Manjula Rao saying they were irrelevant but Rao said that her questions were relevant.

Defence Counsel Adhik Shirodkar also objected to the questions being asked by Rao about the affidavit, which has been recently submitted by Zaheera before the Supreme Court.

Shirodkar said that the Apex court has already ordered an enquiry into the matter and said that questions regarding the affidavit were improper.

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