aa1dec
08, May 2017
Six in my family
died, says witness
– By Our Correspondent
Mumbai, Nov. 30:
The prosecution on Tuesday examined the 33rd witness in the Best Bakery
case. The witness stayed next to the bakery and lost six of his family
members when the bakery was set on fire on the night of March 1, 2002.
He
told the court that on that night, his brother was not in town and since
he too had to go out for some work for a couple of hours, he had cautioned
all family members to stay at the bakery since riots had engulfed the
city.
His
family members included his brotherÂ’s wife, two nieces, his son and
daughter, and a friend Firoz, the witness told the court.
When
he returned, he said, he saw that a mob had surrounded the bakery. So, he
went to the neighbouring Sharda Bakery and called the police, he said.
The
witness alleged that the police personnel, whom he contacted, said they
were not in a position to come since they had no vehicle. The witness said
he kept waiting helplessly and later when he visited the bakery, saw the
charred bodies of his family members.
In a
cross examination, the witness, however, denied having recorded his
version in the subsequent police probe. However, on being questioned
further, he admitted to having recorded three statements in all.
