In the backdrop of severe indictment of Gujarat government by the Supreme Court in the Best Bakery case, the police on Monday registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Waghodia constituency Madhu Srivastav and four others for allegedly intimidating the witnesses of the incident.
The case was registered after Nafitullah Sheikh, brother of key witness Zaheera Sheikh, gave an application to Vadodara police alleging that Srivastav, his cousin Chandrakant
Srivastav and three others had threatened the family of dire consequences, just 10 days before the trial was to commence, Detection of Crime Branch sources told PTI.
Nafitullah alleged that another witness Rehamtullah took him to Congress councillor Chandrakant Srivastav's residence and it was here that the BJP legislator told him that he and his family should refrain from testifying in the court, else face dire consequences.
Out of total 73 witnesses, 37 including Zaheera had turned hostile during the trial, leading to acquittal of all the 21 accused on June 27 this year.
Twelve persons were charred to death when frenzied mob torched the bakery in March last year.
The case has been registered against Srivastav and four others under section 506, 507 and 34 of the CrPC, sources said.
Srivastav is presently on a tour to United Kingdom and United States to meet his friends and relatives.
Both Srivastav and his cousin Chandrakant have persistently denied any role in coercing Zaheera.