NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved judgment on a petition by Bharti Yadav, a key witness in the Nitish Katara murder case and daughter of former Rajya Sabha Member D.P. Yadav, seeking directions to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to issue a new passport to her and get her visa extended to enable her to come to India and depose.

Ms. Bharti is at present staying in London pursuing a professional course.

Justice A.K. Sikri of the High Court reserved the judgment on conclusion of arguments by counsel for Ms. Bharti and the Ministry.

Ms. Bharti had given an undertaking to a trial court here that she would come to India on November 25 to record her evidence in the case.

Following her undertaking, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur had fixed November 25 as the date for conducting further trial proceedings in the case.

Earlier this year, the MEA had revoked her passport on a request by the prosecution when she failed to appear in the court to record her statement despite summons and a non-bailable arrest warrant.

Counsel for Ms. Bharti, R.K. Kapoor, urged the Court to pass directions that neither the Centre nor the Uttar Pradesh Government would prevent her or create any hindrance in her way to go back to the U.K. in any manner after her evidence was over. Ms. Bharti might be issued emergency travel documents to facilitate her journey to India before the scheduled date for recording of her evidence, Mr. Kapoor said. His client also desired that the trial court should record her statement on a day-to-day basis to conclude it expeditiously and to record it in camera, Mr. Kapoor stated.

Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, brother and cousin of Ms. Bharti respectively, are facing trial in the case for allegedly kidnapping Nitish Katara, son of a former IAS officer here, and later killing him as they were allegedly against their sister having an affair with the deceased.

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