Bharati Yadav to depose in camera, media barred

NEW DELHI: Media will be barred from the recording of evidence by Bharti Yadav, a key witness in the Nitish Katara murder case as a Delhi Court on Monday allowed her plea for in-camera proceedings of her testimony commencing from November 29.

However, her other plea to bar victim's mother Neelam Katara from attending the proceeding was rejected by the Court.

While deciding on the application of Bharti, who has been provided with the emergency travel document to travel to India from United Kingdom, to depose as a star witness, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur cautioned that those who are permitted to attend the proceedings would not put any kind of pressure upon her.

"...they (who have been allowed to attend proceedings) are directed not to put any kind of pressure by words or gestures or by any other act upon the witness either before her testimony or during the statement and in the case it is so perceived by the court they shall be asked to leave the court immediately," the ASJ said.

Besides Neelam, others allowed to be present during the hearing are her counsel, counsels for the accused, the public prosecutor and Bharti's parents.

The court also directed the DCP (Security) of the Tilak Marg police station and the Senior Superintendent (SSP) of Ghaziabad to make necessary arrangements to provide security to Bharti outside as well as inside the court.