Three-tier security for Bharti Yadav at court during deposition

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) A three-tier security cover has been provided to Bharti Yadav, a key witness in the Nitish Katara murder case, who arrived at the Patiala House Courts here this morning for deposition.

Ms Yadav, who arrived at about 0745 hrs at the court premises to avoid media glare, was accompanied by her lawyer Subhash Chandra Bhuttan.

Others who joined the 'in camera court proceedings' were Bharti's father former parliamentarian D P Yadav, her brothers Vikas and Vishal and Ms Neelam Katara -- mother of Nitish Katara.

The security cover to Ms Bharti begins at Gate No 1 where barricading has been done by the police to prevent any unwarranted person or agency to reach or contact the 'crucial witness'.

Metal detector doors have been installed at the entrance and hand-held metal detectors were being used to scan people entering the court premises.

At the second 'check-point', set up near the inner court premises corridor -- where Bharti was to depose -- frisking of lawyers and petitioners were being done, besides the metal detector check.

The last 'barrier', right ahead of the judge's room, bars anyone beyond that point except thoise related with the case.

Police sources said the security cover was part of the directive to provide a 'secure environment' for Ms Bharti to depose before the court without fear.

Meanwhile, Bharti's lawyer S C Bhuttan today threatened to take certain news channels to court for ''biased reporting''.

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appear before the court since then, despite repeated summons and bailable and non-bailable warrants, her passport had been revoked by the Ministry of External Affairs earlier this year.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 to India.

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