The Hindu : National : "Bilkis unable to recollect information"

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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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National

"Bilkis unable to recollect information"

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 23. Bilkis Yakub Rasul today said that she had told the doctors at Limkheda and at the civil hospital in Godhra about the incident which had taken place on March 3, 2003 at Chapparwad village and she had also named the accused then.

Bilkis was being cross- examined by defence counsel, Harshad Ponda, after the completion of her examination by the special public prosecutor, R.K. Shah.

The trial, which was transferred to Mumbai by the Supreme Court, is being held in camera as it is a case of gang-rape. Yesterday, she identified the 12 accused who had raped her and killed her daughter.

Bilkis was unable to state the precise dates and years and also unable to recollect certain things, according to Mr. Shah. The cross-examination was directed towards how many statements were recorded by the local police, by the CBI and the others, where they were recorded and what time they were recorded. Bilkis told the court that she had told all of them the full facts of the incident.

Mr. Ponda asked Bilkis about the petition which she had filed in the Supreme Court and about the annexures to that petition. She was also asked about a fax message which was addressed to the district magistrate at Dahod.

She, however, said she had not sent such a message. Her cross-examination will continue tomorrow.

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