Bakery blast case: Defence to cross-examine 11 formal witnesses

Cross-examination of about 11 of the 41 formal witnesses in the German Bakery case,including the owner and employees of the bakery,will commence on November 8.

On Saturday,defence lawyer A Rehman and his assistant Kaynat Ali Shaikh representing suspect Mirza Himayat Inayat Baig submitted the 11 to be cross-examined. They include bakery owner Smita Kharose,four employees of the bakery,three auto-rickshaw drivers who were near the Bakery when the blast took place and two persons working in offices next to the Bakery. Earlier,special public prosecutor Raja Thakare had submitted evidence of 41 witnesses of a formal nature through signed affidavits. Formal witnesses are like those who claimed bodies of the dead or those injured but who have no deposition to make related to events prior to the blast that can throw any light on the perpetrators,explained Thakare adding that the prosecution in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case and the 2006 serial train blasts case had also made a similar move to file affidavits of formal witnesses as evidence to speed up trial.

The court of additional sessions judge N P Dhote hearing the case had asked the defence to study the affidavits and inform the court if they wished to cross-examine any of the 41 formal witnesses. The defence intimated the court they wished to cross-examine 11 of them and accepted the affidavits of the 30 remaining as evidence. Advocate Rehman shall give his say on acceptance of the 30 affidavits in writing to the court on the next date of hearing,November 8.

The German Bakery blast on February 13,2010,had claimed the lives of 17 people,including foreigners,and had injured over 50.