The Hindu : National : Zahira deposes again

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Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005

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National

Zahira deposes again

By Our Special Correspondent

Zahira Sheikh, prime witness in the Best Bakery case, arrives at a special court in Mumbai on Monday. — PTI

MUMBAI, JAN. 10. The prime witness in the Best Bakery case, Zahira Sheikh, today told the court that she had not known that she would hold a press conference in Baroda, when she left Mumbai last year.

Zahira told the court during the retrial which resumed, after a break,that she and her family were threatened by Rais Khan and others and when she tried to file a police complaint in Mumbai, it was not recorded.

Responding to questions from the special public prosecutor, Manjula Rao, she said that she also had not known that she would have to make an affidavit or that they would take the help of the Jan Adhikari Samiti, a voluntary organisation in Baroda.

When the family reached Baroda, their advocate said that the litigation cost would be considerable, so they approached the Samiti.

She said that there was danger to their lives too. She decided to hold a press conference in Baroda in November 2004 due to that.

Rais Khan and the others threatened them only once before Dasara in Mumbai. Zahira admitted that she had filed an affidavit to the Vadodara Collector on November 3, 2004, but she had not mentioned that she and her family were threatened.

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