New Delhi: Bharti Yadav, a key witness in the Nitish Katara murder, on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking release of her impounded passport to enable her to depose before the trial court.
In her application moved through her counsel R K Kapoor, Bharti submitted that it will be difficult for her to return to India if the passport impounded by External Affairs Ministry was not released in time.
Bharti, on September 27, offered to return to India within two weeks and depose before the Patiala House court.
Bharti made the offer through an affidavit filed by her counsel before Justice A K Sikri who took the same on record.
Bharti has been served 16 summons and many bailable and non-bailable warrants have been issued against her. If she fails to appear on the designated date, she would, in all probability, bracketed as an offender – a rare case where a witness is labeled an offender.
Bharti is the main witness in the murder of Nitish Katara and her testimony is believed to be crucial for proving the motive behind Katara's murder.
She had left India immediately after Nitish's murder in February 2002.
It was Bharti's friendship with Nitish Katara and the disapproval of this friendship by Bharti's brother, Vikas Yadav, which allegedly led to Katara's murder.
She has not appeared before the court since then despite repeated summons, bailable and non-bailable warrants.
She is purportedly pursuing studies in London and her passport was revoked on March 7 this year.
Her testimony is believed to be crucial for proving the motive behind Katara's murder.
On July 15, Bharti's father D P Yadav - a former Rajya Sabha MP - told the court that he met her at a function in London but refused to say where she lived. The court on May 16 ordered D P Yadav to appear in person since Bharti's present address was not traceable.
Katara was kidnapped and murdered on the night of February 16-17, 2002 from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he had gone to attend a wedding.
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