Key witness in the Nitish Katara case, Bharti Yadav, who is in India to testify in the high profile murder case, is fit to make her statement before the trial court, her advocate said on Wednesday.
Bharti, who has not appeared before the court for the last four years, was provided with emergency travel documents after she agreed to depose. She arrived in New Delhi last week.
Bharti's whereabouts are being kept secret to protect her from the media glare, her advocate S C Bhuttan said.
"I had a good meeting with her on Monday. The meeting lasted 15 to 20 minutes and she is fit enough to make a statement," Bhuttan said.
Bharti's testimony in the case is crucial as she had in her statement to police earlier stated that she saw her brothers Vishal and Vikas with Nitish before his disappearance. He was later found murdered.
According to prosecution, Nitish was killed on February 17, 2002 allegedly by Vikas and Vishal, who were said to have been against Bharti being intimate with him. The court had allowed her plea for in-camera proceedings of her testimony, but rejected the demand that complainant Neelam Katara should not be allowed to be present during her deposition.
PTI adds:
Meanwhile, Bharti visited the passport office in New Delhi on Tuesday. Bharti, who had her face covered in a veil, is understood to have submitted her revoked passport to the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs at their office near the Patiala House Courts complex.
Accompanied by her lawyer, she arrived at the MEA office around 11:30 am. and spent around 20 minutes there to sign papers for passport and visa in compliance with the high court orders.
