Bharti Yadav

Bharti "Bart Bart" Yadav is the daughter of the criminal-politician D. P. Yadav. She was a key focus in the Nitish Katara murder case,^[1] since Nitish had been her love interest, and her brothers were convicted as the killers. In a confession to the police, Vikas Yadav stated that "the affair was damaging our family's reputation".^[2] The court also saw the killing as an attempt to preserve "family honour".^[3]

Her later stance, denying her romantic relationship with Nitish, is often seen in India as the power of love losing out to family pressure.^[4]

Other instances of a wealth-mismatch between lovers are often compared to her as in the case of Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi and the commoner Rizwanur Rahman who was found dead.^[5] In that case as well, Priyanka Todi aligned herself with her family's perspective^[6]

Family background

Her father D. P. Yadav is a powerful gang leader, a history-sheeter involved in nine murders,^[7] and has been called the "unrivalled don of western Uttar Pradesh".^[8] He later joined politics and was a member of the Rajya Sabha with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her mother Umlesh Yadav is also a politician.

Subsequent to the conviction of her brothers, she was married in 2009, attracting considerable media attention.

Nitish Katara affair

In 2002, the love affair between Bharti and Nitish was well-known among their classmates at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad. Among the cards sent by her to Nitish was the following (from April 2001):

Chimpu, it's easy to love you, you listen to me without judging ... you are so easy to talk to, so easy to feel close to, so easy to love ... Happy Birthday. -Sweetiepie"^[1]

The relationship was strongly opposed by the Yadav family;^[1] Katara received death threats several times.^[9] In the early hours of February 17, 2002, Nitish was taken for a drive by Bharti's brothers Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav. Three days later, his charred body was found beside the highway; he had been battered to death with a hammer, diesel poured on him, and set aflame. The body was identified partly based on an expensive watch which Bharti had given him.^[10]

Avoiding testifying in London

In her initial testimony recorded by a policewoman, Bharti stated:

My friendship with Nitish Katara became a love affair... I began to love Nitish from the bottom of my heart... Nitish told his mother that he wanted to marry me. After the wedding ceremony I and Nitish Katara danced. At around 1.30am, I came to know that Vikas and Vishal Yadav had asked Nitish to come out with them. I feared for Nitish's life. I searched... everywhere but didn't find them.^[11]

However, in March 2002, within two weeks of this initial verbal statement, she gave a statement in D. P. Yadav's presence, at his Rajya Sabha residence. She told them that "her relationship with Nitish was like that of a classmate and there was nothing special about them."^[12]

Shortly thereafter, Bharti moved to London for an extended period. From there, she apparently sent some e-mails to Katara's brother, which blame her father D. P. Yadav for sanctioning the murder.^[11]

Bharti Yadav testimony on the murder

There was a protracted struggle in court (over four and a half years) to get her to testify in the case. Lawyers on her behalf made 39 appeals that she be excused from testifying.^[13]

Pressure mounted on getting her to testify. Repeated warrants and non-bailable warrants were not heeded to. At one point, the UP prosecuting team dropped her as a prosecution witness, which was challenged by Nitish's mother,^[14] who argued that Bharti was a material witness and dropping her may have been influenced by D. P. Yadav. Delhi prosecutor Mukta Gupta also argued that the move "showed the malafide intention of the Uttar Pradesh Prosecutor to request for dropping of Bharti as witness".^[15] In October 2005, the court ruled that she was a material witness and would be required to testify.

In May 2006, Bharti Yadav's passport was revoked by the Ministry of External Affairs,^[16] so that her stay in UK was technically illegal. At the time, D. P. Yadav stated in court that he did not know his daughter's whereabouts.^[17] It is believed that at the time, she was working as a staff nurse".^[17]

Furthermore, her visa was expiring on November 30. A final appeal that she be permitted to give her testimony by video conferencing was turned down.^[18]

In danger of being arrested and deported from London, Bharti finally returned to depose before the court. In her testimony, Yadav denied any romantic attachment to Katara, and said that they had simply been close friends. She also stated that her family were aware of her friendship with Nitish and hence there was no question of them disliking him.^[19] However, she acknowledged having sent the cards and gifts.^[20] The prosecution stated that this evidence was key in obtaining the eventual conviction, as it established motive.^[10] Her brothers were sentenced to life.

Marriage in 2009

In 2009, Bharti married Gurgaon-based Businessman Yatin Rao, the son of a Haryana government official.^[21][22][23] Her brothers obtained judicial permission to attend the wedding.^[24] Among the guests was the controversial tantrik Chandraswami.^[25]

Bharti Yadav's case remains an exemplar in India of how love fails to conquer time^[4]

References