Wednesday, May 4 2005 15:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The prime witness in the Best Bakery case, Zaheera Sheikh today (May 4, 2005) denied that she had filed any affidavit before the Godhra Commission but acknowledged that the signatures on the affidavit dated May 20, 2002 was hers.

Zaheera, who appeared before Nanavati-Shah Commission, inquiring into the Godhra train carnage and its aftermath, with her advocate Atul Mistry, was shown a copy of the May 20 affidavit bearing her name and was asked to thoroughly read it.

However, after reading the affidavit, Zaheera denied that the contents were given by her but acknowledged that the signatures on the document was hers.

Zaheera clarified that she had not filed any affidavit before this Commission ever and had only filed an application on April 13, 2005 seeking an adjournment of her cross examination, as the matter was pending in the Supreme Court.

She added that she had filed three affidavits before the Supreme Court dated April 31, 2004, March 20, 2005 and April 12, 2005 and she had attached the copies of these three along with her application seeking adjournment from cross-examination before the Commission.

Zaheera also claimed ignorance about the contents of the police complaint registered by Vadodara police on March 2, 2002 in connection with the Best Bakery case but again acknowledged that the signatures on the complaint was hers.

Zaheera was also not co-operative during her cross-examination and refused to reply to several questions put by advocate Mukul Sinha.

This prompted Sinha to tell the Commission that he would file an application wherein a witness under oath should tell the truth and if he or she knows it.