Date:17/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/17/stories/2005071702331000.htm

National

Cross-examination of Zahira postponed to July 25

Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: Cross-examination of Zahira Sheikh, prime witness in the Best Bakery communal riots case before the G. T. Nanavati-K. G. Shah judicial inquiry commission was postponed to July 25.

On Friday night, the commission secretary informed her of the postponement of Saturday's hearing in the absence of the advocate for riot victims, Mukul Sinha, for personal reasons.

Ms. Sheikh's advocate said she might have to seek a further adjournment as she was due to appear before the Supreme Court on July 25.

Stern warning

The commission gave her a stern warning after she repeatedly sought adjournments during the last couple of months and asked her to appear on July 1, failing which it threatened to issue an arrest warrant.

But the hearing that day had to be postponed due to heavy rain and floods, which disrupted for more than a week all communication between Ahmedabad and Vadodara, where she lived.