Mumbai, May 06: The mother of Zaheera Sheikh, prime witness in the Best Bakery case, today retracted her statement that Yasmeen Shaikh, her daughter-in-law, was not present at the bakery at the time of attack three years ago.
"Pata nahi kahan se aayi, ye Yasmeen hai (I don't know where she came from, she is yasmeen)," Sehrunissa Sheikh told the special court, identifying Yasmeen in a video recording shot during rescue operations a day after the attack on the bakery. The VCD was recently included as evidence in the case.
Sehrunissa had earlier denied presence of Yasmeen at the bakery when the attack took place on March 1, 2002.
The video captures the police rescue operations on March 2, 2002, a day after the bakery was attacked by a mob during the post Godhra riots.
Sehrunissa deposed for the second time in the retrial at the special court following the prosecution's request to examine her again in light of the police video.
The prosecution claimed that the contents of the VCD are in contradiction to what Zaheera, her mother and brother
had told the court under oath.
On May 4, the special court issued bailable warrants against the mother and Naseebullah, brother of Zaheera, on a prosecution plea.
The special court here is conducting the retrial in the case following the Supreme Court directive to hold it in Maharashtra. Fourteen persons were killed in the attack on the Best Bakery at Vadodara during the Gujarat riots.
Bureau Report
