Bharti meets lawyer, apprised of court procedures

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Key witness in the Nitish Katara murder case Bharti Yadav, who arrived here last Saturday, met her lawyer at his Shalimar Bagh office in North-West Delhi this morning amidst heightened curiosity over her deposition before a Delhi court later this month.

The meeting at about 0830 hrs between Bharti and her lawyer Subhash Bhuttan lasted about 20 minutes during which she is understood to have conferred with him on the proceedings on her November 29 deposition, according to sources.

Subhash Bhuttan told reporters that he apprised her of the procedures of the court during deposition.

''As Bharti is unaware of the court procedures here, she was apprised of the same. She was told about the particulars how she had to go about in the court.'' Stating that she looked confident and ''devoid of any pressures'', Mr Bhuttan said she was however, a little apprehensive about the media.

''She was also told not to contact her parents until she had given her deposition in the court on November 29.'' On whether she came alone to meet him, he said Bharti came to my room alone. ''I am not aware if she was accompanied by anyone else.

But definitely there was no one from her family.'' Declining to disclose where she was putting up, the lawyer said it didn't matter as long as she was safe.

Bharti, who arrived in Delhi on November 25, had come to India on government expense to give testimony in the case at the Patiala House Courts here.

Nitish Katara, a 'close friend' of Bharti, was kidnapped and murdered on the night of February 16-17, 2002, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he had gone to attend a marriage.

Bharti's brother Vikas -- son of former Rajya Sabha MP D P Yadav -- and cousin Vishal are prime suspects in the murder, who allegedly objected to her relationship with Nitish.

Bharti had left the country after the murder, supposedly to pursue studies in London.

As she did not appear before the court since then, despite repeated summons, bailable and non-bailable warrants, her passport had been revoked by the Ministry of External Affairs earlier this year.

Special travel documents had been arranged for Bharti to come.

A fresh passport would be issued to her after she made her deposition.

UNI AN MSJ KN1533