Saturday, July 16 2005 14:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The cross-examination of the key witness in the Best Bakery case, Zaheera Sheikh, scheduled to be held today (July 16, 2005) before the two-member Nanavati-Shah Commission, has been postponed till July 25 (Monday).

A notice at the Commission's office stated that further cross-examination of Zaheera would be held on July 25 along with other miscellaneous applications. However, no reason was cited for the adjournment.

According to sources at the Commission, the hearing was put off after defence counsel Mukul Sinha, who was expected to cross-examine Zaheera, expressed inability to attend the proceedings due to personal reasons.

The controversial witness had last appeared before the Commission on May 4 when her deposition was incomplete as she refused to reply to many questions posed by the defence counsel, including narrating the events of the carnage on March 1, 2002 when a violent mob had torched the bakery in Vadodara, killing 14 persons including several members of Zaheera's family.

The Commission, on June 17 had issued a stern warning asking her to co-operate during cross-examination or face action under Section 177 of IPC (furnishing false evidence).

The second round of cross-examination of Zaheera was slated for July 1 but she expressed inability to arrive at the Commission, because of floods in Vadodara.

During her last visit to the Commission in May, Zaheera had also denied having filed any affidavit in May 2002 before the panel, probing the Godhra train carnage and its aftermath.