Ahmedabad, Nov. 18: A key witness of the 2002 Naroda-Patiya carnage in Gujarat has alleged that he is being intimidated to stay away from deposing in the fast-track court hearing the case.

Abdul Majid Sheikh, 55, has filed a complaint with the special investigation team, which has begun a fresh probe into the 2002 riots at the behest of the Supreme Court, that he is living in fear of unknown persons who are roaming around Faizal Park in Vatva, home to 45 families of the victims of the massacre.

On October 14, Sheikh said, two persons on a motorcycle landed up at his grocery shop and offered him a suitcase full of cash to keep his “mouth shut” and stay away from the court.

“When I refused to accept the money, they threatened to kill me. They said they will break my legs, strictly warning me that I should not identify the accused,” Sheikh said with a shudder.

Mayaben Kodnani, a former state minister, and Jaideep Patel, a former VHP secretary, are the prime accused in the case as they had allegedly instigated the mob which massacred at least 89 people in February 2002. Kodnani and Patel were arrested but are now out on bail.

Sheikh was the key witness who identified Kodnani, leading to her resignation from the ministry and subsequent arrest.

Sheikh, who has also been receiving threat calls, said he had filed a complaint with the SIT, following which he had been called to the local police station. The officials asked him for details. Sheikh said he was so afraid that he hadn’t thought of noting down the registration number of the motorcycle and couldn’t dare ask the men their names.

Paramilitary jawans deployed in the sensitive locality and local policemen are now keeping an eye on every visitor to the area.

Sheikh is determined to depose. “Come what may, I will go to court whenever I’m called,” he said.

His determination is rooted in the trauma he has gone through since that fateful day of February 28, 2002. Sheikh lost wife Lalbi and six of his eight children — three daughters and three sons — in the post-Godhra riots at Naroda–Patia. The place had been his home since 1969 when his father moved from Karnataka to Gujarat.

He was himself hit hard on the head with a sharp-edged weapon. Sheikh fell unconscious, but before passing out, he had to go through the trauma of seeing his 18-year-old daughter Sofia Bano being raped and the others massacred.

“She survived for two days and told me in the civil hospital hours before she died that she was raped. I had seen that myself. That which is why I will go to court to see to it that justice is done despite the threat to my life,” said Sheikh.

The only saving grace was that two of his sons, Chand and Yashin, miraculously survived: Chand was found in a dustbin and Yashin survived with 20 per cent burns.

Part of the money he got as compensation — Rs 35 lakh — has been deposited in the name of his two sons. He has also donated towards the cause of poor children in Ahmedabad and back home in Karnataka.

Sheikh has married again. Hina Kausar, 30, is his current wife. They have two girls.