Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case, on Monday appeared before a trial court in Mumbai amidst tight security. She, however, did not depose as the prosecution chose not to examine her.
Prosecutor
Manjula Rao told the designated Judge Abhay Thipsay that she would examine Zaheera at the end of the trial.
Thereafter, Zaheera left with her police escort.
On November 3, Zaheera, in a turnaround, had told the Vadodara collector that she was being pressured by social activist Teesta Setalvad to identify innocent people as accused in the Mumbai court.
She also said that her original testimony before a fast track court in Gujarat, where she had failed to identify a single accused, was true.
The Supreme Court had ordered a re-trial of the case in Mumbai only after Zaheera complained she had deposed before the court in Gujarat out of fear.
But now what she is saying is that she was under no pressure then, but she is now.
On March 1, 2002, 14 persons were killed when a group of people attacked Best bakery in Vadodara and set it afire.