'Luxury car' of key riot witness

Zahira Sheikh is a key witness to the Best Bakery attack

A court in India's western city of Mumbai (Bombay) has ordered an inquiry into the sources of funding for a key witness in a Gujarat riot case.

Zahira Sheikh and her sister Saira Sheikh are said by prosecution lawyers to be using a luxury car, far beyond their meagre income.

Zahira Sheikh has twice changed testimony in the case, in which 14 people were killed by a Hindu mob.

Last month her sister-in-law accused her of taking money to change evidence.

Horrific incidents

The attack on the Best Bakery, in the town of Baroda, was one of the worst incidents in the Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002.

According to official figures, more than 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in the riots.

Human rights groups put the death toll much higher.

There have been few convictions arising from the riots

The special court set up to re-try the case has ordered an investigation into the ownership of a luxury car which the prosecution said was being used by Ms Sheikh and her family members.

The first trial collapsed when Ms Sheikh, one of several Muslim witnesses, retracted earlier statements to the police saying she did not recognise the 21 defendants alleged to have attacked the bakery which is owned by her family.

She said that she had lied in court because she had been threatened by leading members of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat if she testified against Hindus accused of involvement.

Authorisation question

In November she again changed her story, saying a human rights group had threatened her into making false statements to the Supreme Court.

At the same time, her sister-in-law Yasmin Sheikh testified that Ms Sheikh had taken money to change her statement.

The announcement of an investigation into Ms Sheikh's finances coincides with reports that Gujarat police guarding her had not been given proper authorisation to do so.

The court on Tuesday asked the police to trace the driver of the luxury car being used by Ms Sheikh and her sister.

The re-trial centres on claims that a Hindu mob killed the 12 Muslims and two others when they set the bakery on fire.

On Monday India's Supreme Court told her to explain her change of statements in the case.

The Muslims were burned alive in Baroda's Best Bakery

Correspondents say the prosecution's efforts to secure convictions have been hampered because Zahira Sheikh is one of several witnesses to have retracted evidence.

The riots deeply divided Hindus and Muslims living in Gujarat and many Muslims still say they live in fear.