At scene of the crime, morning knock again

After the SC order reached the state, the Vadodara police ordered the accused under Section 68 of the Bombay Police Act (BPA) to present themselves at the police station.

But after a day-long search, only four could be traced.

At Best Bakery itself, it’s quiet tonight with two pigs having taken up a squealing residence on the debris of the ground floor, by a charred and broken staircase leading to the terrace.

Zaheera Sheikh’s estranged sister-in-law Yasmin Banu and her mother have tossed a new tin roof and yellow door to a room adjacent to the main part of the bakery. ‘‘The media have been coming and asking me questions since 7 am,’’ says Yasmin. ‘‘All I have to say is that Zaheera is lying.’’

At the nearby house of Shanabhai Baria, police found all residents gone. ‘‘Shanabhai left for his village yesterday. We don’t know when he will come back,’’ said his neighbour.

Relatives of the other accused also said they didn’t know. ‘‘He has left for some work and gone out of Vadodara. We don’t know when he will be back,’’ was what family members of another accused, Harshad Solanki, had to say. When asked about the verdict, the family members immediately shut the door.

City Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha clarified that the four who were traced have not been arrested, only told to remain present at the police station till further orders.

Bharat Thakkar was left speechless when he was informed by his assistant that his younger brother Sanjay had been picked up by the police from their hardware shop on Dabhoi road.

Sanjay is also an accused in the case. ‘‘I had gone to Delol in Panchmahals for some work and Sanjay was at the shop. When I came back I was told that he has been picked up by the Panigate police station. I am going there to inquire about him,’’ he said.

‘‘The policemen came and before I could realise what is happening, my son was picked up. I don’t know why they have arrested him,’’ cried the mother of another accused, Ravi Chauhan. When informed about the SC verdict, the apprehensive mother wanted to know whether the family will have to fight the case in Maharashtra. ‘‘We have no relatives in Maharashtra who can help us,’’ she said.