Shabana, Javed deny hosting Zahira

MUMBAI: Did the controversial ZahiraSheikh, who was to be the prosecution''s star witness in the Best Bakery retrial,stay with actor-cum-social activist Shabana Azmi and her husband, scriptwriterJaved Akhtar, in Mumbai last year?A statement reportedly given byZahira''s estranged sister-in-law Yasmin Sheikh to the Vadodara police says thatZahira stayed with the Bollywood couple for a brief period in2003.However, Yasmin has denied making any such statement to thepolice.Last week, during cross-examination, senior defence counselAdhik Shirodkar asked Yasmin whether she had said in a police statement thatZahira had stayed with Azmi and Akhtar in Mumbai last year. A visibly upsetYasmin told Shirodkar that she had never made such a statement to the police inVadodara."I do not know why they (police) have written such athing," Yasmin said.Shirodkar said in courtbefore additional sessions judge Abhay Thipsay: "The Vadodara police haverecorded two statements of Yasmin''s. One statement was recorded on September 27,2003, and the other on October 23, 2003. In one of the statements, Yasmin hasstated that Zahira and her mother stayed with Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar inMumbai. But today the witness is contradicting her ownstatement."Azmi and Akhtar, known for their commitment to secularismand social causes, were startled when contacted about the matter by TOI onSaturday. "These are all false allegations. Neither Zahira nor her familymembers ever stayed with us for a single day in Mumbai. I really do not know howwe come into the picture," Akhtar said.Outside the court premises onThursday, Shirodkar said, "She (Yasmin) is contradicting her ownstatements."Defence counsel, D S Jambaulikar, who will continuegrilling Yasmin on Monday, said, "Wait and watch. Several other contradictionswill pop up in the courtroom on Monday."