Zahira files income tax return in Vadodara

VADODARA: Key witness in Best Bakery burning case Zahira Sheikh, who was jailed by the Supreme Court for perjury, visited the city for filing her income tax return in response to a notice served by the Income-Tax Department.

Zahira, who was released from the Nasik Central Jail in Maharashtra a few months ago after serving one-year sentence, was here on Monday and later left for Mumbai.

Her bank account was frozen by the I-Tax Department following allegations that she changed her statements in the high-profile riot case in lieu of money.

In a brief chat with reporters, Zahira said the Rs 90,000 deposited in a bank here has been earned by her family members through hard work.

Giving the break up for this amount, she said Rs 40,000 was obtained through the sale of a house in Ektanagar locality. The remaining Rs 50,000 was earned through the sale of scraps and machines of Best Bakery, owned by her family.

Fourteen people were killed when the bakery was burnt down in the 2002 post-Godhra riots here.

The entire amount was deposited by her mother (Sharunisa) and it was to be spent on marriage, the 21-year-old said.

She said an amount of Rs 1.20 lakh has been deposited in a Mumbai bank which was transferred from here by her mother, Zahira said.

Explaining about it, Zahira said a compensation of Rs 90,000 was received on account of death of her sister Saira in the bakery incident. The rest Rs 30,000 was received from the insurance company for the damage caused to a motorcycle in the bakery fire in March 2002.