Mumbai, July 5 (PTI): The trial in the Best Bakery case was today put off till July 19 as the impasse over the appointment of a public prosecutor continued.

Both the Gujarat and Maharashtra governments stuck to their guns even as the court declared 13 absconders in the case as proclaimed offenders.

Maharashtra had issued a notification on June 18 appointing P.R. Vakil, Manjula Rao, Zaheeruddin Shaikh and S.M. Vora as prosecutors. The Gujarat government, on the other hand, named Atul Mehta and T.S. Nanavati and said it might consider appointing Manjula Rao as special public prosecutor.

Judge Abhay Thipsay adjourned the hearing for the third time since June after Mihir Desai, counsel for prime witness Zahira Sheikh, said he had moved the Supreme Court for a clarification on the matter.

The judge had earlier asked both states to come to a consensus by today, failing which he would refer the matter to the apex court. At today’s hearing, Vakil, the counsel for the Maharashtra government, said the states had held a meeting but failed to arrive at a consensus.

On a plea made by Gujarat police, the judge declared 13 absconding accused as proclaimed offenders.

Fourteen people were massacred at Best Bakery in Vadodara during the post-Godhra riots.

Desai pleaded that his client Zahira, being a petitioner before the Supreme Court, had the right to approach it to seek a clarification on the matter.

Moreover, a new prosecutor was to be appointed in consultation with the victims in keeping with the apex court guidelines, he argued.

The seven arrested in the case were produced before the court. Another accused, who is on bail, was represented by his lawyer.