Wednesday, May 25 2005 20:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The prosecution in the Best Bakery case today (May 25, 2005) concluded cross-examination of prime witness, Zaheera Sheikh, but the trial court asked her to remain present on May 30 as it wanted to ask her few questions.

The court said that it might ask a few questions to the witness (Zaheera) on the next occasion and asked her to come to the court on May 30.

The prosecution is re-examining her in the light of the fresh evidence placed before the court in the form of two videos -- one capturing the police rescue operations at the bakery a day after it was attacked on March one, 2002 and the other focussing on Zaheera's interview taken by a television journalist some days after the attack on bakery.

As Zaheera had turned hostile during the re-trial in the special court in Mumbai, the prosecution decided to cross-examine her in the wake of fresh evidence presented to the court.

The prosecution today questioned Zaheera about the video that was recorded by Vadodara police to capture rescue operations a day after the bakery was set on fire.

In response to a question, she identified her sister-in-law Yasmeen in the video film and said that she (Yasmeen) was seen in the passage of the bakery.

She also said that a lady was seen on the terrace of the bakery, however, she said it could not be her grandmother as she (grand-mother) was at their native place in North India.

During her examination earlier, she had told the court that her sister-in-law and grandmother were not present at the bakery when the incident took place. After her cross-examination by the prosecution, designated Judge A M Thipsay said that he would like to put forth a few questions to Zaheera.

After that, Zaheera's brother Nafitullah would be re-examined by the prosecution. He too had turned hostile during his examination earlier.

The matter has been adjourned to May 30, as the court would be visiting the bakery site at Vadodara on May 26 and May 27 to inspect the site.