In a setback to the prosecution in the Red Fort shootout case, a key witness on Tuesday contradicted his statement to the police that he had arranged rented accommodation for prime accused Ashfaq, a Pakistan national, in the Zakir Nagar area of South Delhi.

A two-member gang of Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants had sneaked into the 17th century historic monument in December 2000 and fired indiscriminately on the guards of the 7th Battalion of Rajputana Rifles, killing three persons.

Expressing inability to identify Ashfaq in the court of M S Sabharwal, witness Yunus Khan denied that he was introduced to Ashfaq by one of the accused, Babar Mohsin Bhagwala.

Khan, however, said he knew Babbar as a fellow student at the Jamia Millia University and said Babbar had never introduced him to anyone nor asked for any accommodation for Ashfaq.

Eleven accused are standing trial in the case.

Attack on Red Fort: Complete Coverage