The Hindu : Front Page : Zahira fails to turn up before Nanavati Commission

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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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Zahira fails to turn up before Nanavati Commission

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD, FEB. 23. The prime witness in the Best Bakery case, Zahira Sheikh, today failed to turn up before the G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah judicial inquiry commission here and was given time to appear on March 21.

As per the commission's earlier directive, Ms. Sheikh sent a letter through her lawyer seeking more time in view of the Supreme Court's order to furnish details of the sources of her income and that of her family members within four weeks.

Because of her current stay in Delhi to prepare for the affidavit and her pre-occupation with it, it would not be possible for her to be in a proper frame of mind to be cross-examined by the commission, she said.

Ms. Sheikh, whose cross-examination was requested by the Jan Sangharsha Manch advocate, Mukul Sinha, appearing before the commission on behalf of the riot victims, was due to be present before the commission on February 4 but had sought leave of absence through a fax message on health grounds.

The commission while adjourning the hearing to today directed her to present her case either personally or through her lawyer even if she wanted further postponement.

A key witness in the Godhra train burning case, `sadhvi' Minaxi Devi, who voluntarily appeared before the commission yesterday and was to be cross-examined today, also failed to turn up. She sent a message through some of her relatives that she had to suddenly rush to Nadiad for some personal work and would not be able to attend the hearing. The commission directed her to appear before it on March 19 for cross-examination.

The 54-year-old `sadhvi,' who claimed that she was travelling by S-7 coach in the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002, during her deposition before the commission yesterday had made certain revelations damaging to the conspiracy theory forwarded by the Gujarat police and supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Though she attended the VHP programme in Ayodhya, she claimed that she did not go there as a kar sevak and that she was not a member of the VHP.

Haren Pandya killing

Vithhalbhai Pandya, the father of the slain former Gujarat Minister, Haren Pandya, today unravelled the mystery surrounding the "Cabinet Minister" who had deposed against the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, before the Concerned Citizens' Tribunal headed by the former Supreme Court judge, V.R. Krishna Iyer.

Mr. Pandya, who was cross-examined by the Nanavati Commission today, said that it was his son who had deposed before the tribunal. He, however, could not say whether he had given a written statement or had deposed orally and what the contents of his deposition were. The tribunal had refused to reveal the name of the Cabinet member in view of the oath of secrecy but Haren Pandya was soon afterwards issued a showcause notice by the ruling BJP and was later asked to resign from the Cabinet.

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