New Delhi, November 30
Bharti Yadav, a key witness and sister of the prime accused in the Nitish Katara murder case, today concluded her deposition here with her lawyer claiming she has denied a love affair with the victim. The prosecution, however, indicated that she had turned hostile.
Her lawyer told reporters that in the in-camera proceedings held in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur, Bharti also denied that she had any plans to marry Katara, saying that they were only friends.
"Bharti had also denied having given any statement to the police under Section 161 of the CrPC, saying that she only had a conversation with police officials," her counsel said.
Asked about her photographs with Katara, she was quoted as having said she had only posed with him as a friend.
Meanwhile, prosecution sources said Bharti had turned hostile during her testimony but they did not disclose the points on which she had retracted from her original statement to the police.
The Special Prosecutor declined to go into Bharti's deposition but remarked that he was satisfied with her testimony. "I am satisfied with Bharti's statement and I am thankful to her for helping the prosecution case," he said.
Her counsel said the prosecution did not ask anything about Katara allegedly leaving a marriage party-- attended by Bharti and him-- with Vikas and Vishal on the night of the murder.
She also denied having exchanged emails with the brother of the victim, Nitin Katara, after the murder.
The mother of the victim, Neelam Katara, was present
in the court when Bharti gave her testimony.
