Zahira

Mumbai, March 23: Deputy commissioner of police Piyush Patel, who was posted in Vadodara during the Gujarat riots, deposed before court today in the Best Bakery case.

Patel, who was in charge of Vadodara south zone, said he arrived at the spot on March 2, 2002, around 10.45 am, after he received a message that four to five houses had been set on fire.

He said a sub-inspector who had reached the site informed him that he had freed nine persons who were tied with wires and assaulted on their heads and legs.

Patel added that police and fire brigade recovered seven bodies from the first floor of the bakery. He did not name Zahira Sheikh, the prime witness in the case who turned hostile, or any member of her family, but said three women ? one of whom said she was the wife of the bakery owner ? met him there.

Zahira?s father, who died of heart attack before the incident took place, was the owner of the bakery. Zahira, her mother Shehrunnisa and sister Sahira have deposed before court, saying they were present in the bakery during the rioting that killed 14 people following the Godhra train burning.

Patel said the women told him they were hiding on the terrace of the house when a mob of 1,000-1,200 attacked the bakery. Patel also said they named several people as having prompted the attack. Some of the persons the women had named are among the accused in the trial, he added..

Patel added that there was an old lady among those who were injured.

Zahira, Shehrunnisa and Sahira have said in court that they did not see anyone in the mob, turning around from their previous statements.

The Sheikh family has also denied that there was an old lady, reportedly Zahira?s grandmother, with them on the terrace.

Zahira breather

Following a report that the prosecution would move the special court here to seek action for perjury against Zahira, public prosecutor Manjula Rao denied that there was any such move at present.

She did not say whether she would ask for such action in the future.