Address of Bharti Yadav true: MHA officials

New Delhi, July 29 (UNI) Appearing before a city court a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official today submitted a detailed report that, the address of Bharti Yadav, prime witness in the Nitish Katara murder case who is currently staying in London is true.

Appearing before the Patiala House Court Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravinder Kaur, Ramesh Kumar, the Under Secretary of MHA told the court that, ''the address of Bharti is indeed true and she is staying in Middlesex with a valid passport and visa. We are now verifying the signature of Bharti whether it is true or false. The fax had been sent from an undisclosed location in the UK with the signature of Bharti.

However, the court has reserved the order to declare Bharti a Proclaimed Offender (PO) till 1600 hours.

Bharti's father D P Yadav had on July 15 submitted in the court that his daughter was in the UK. The court earlier directed him to disclose the present address of Bharti but he refused to furnish it saying he did not remember.

However, Ramesh Kumar, Under Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs said, there were no grounds under the British laws to compel Bharti to attend the court.

He also submitted that summons from overseas authority had no legal validity under the UK laws. If Bharti did not wish to comply, it was her prerogative, he added.

Chief Public Prosecutor B S Joon also said on July 5 ," We also sought the help of the Interpol to trace out the address of Bharti as neither D P Yadav nor Bharti was cooperating. The reply from the Interpol is awaited." The prosecution believes the recording of her statement in the court would reveal the motive behind the crime. Bharti allegedly had an affair with Nitish, son of a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

The prosecution has alleged the accused had killed Nitish because they did not like his relationship with Bharti.

Vikas had masterminded the killing of Nitish after learning about his affair with his sister, the prosecution alleged.

Vikas and Vishal were booked under Sections 302 (Murder), 364 (Kidnapping) and 201 (Destruction of Evidence) and 34 (Common Intention to Commit a Crime) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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