Panchkula, Nov. 8 -- A prosecution witness in the high-profile murder case of former MLA and INLD leader Nafe Singh Rathee did not depose before the special CBI court, alleging threats to his and his family's lives from the accused. The witness submitted an application seeking immediate security protection, following which the court directed that the plea be processed urgently under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, for threat assessment and provision of adequate safeguards. Taking serious note of the threat claim, the CBI court directed that the plea be forwarded immediately to the competent authority under the Witness Protection Scheme for an assessment of the threat perception and for providing adequate security measures without delay. The court noted that, under Section 5 of the Witness Protection Scheme, such an application must be filed in the district where the offence occurred. Accordingly, the plea was ordered to be sent to the head of prosecution, district Jhajjar (as Bahadurgarh is the site of the crime), who serves as the member secretary of the district-level authority. The court instructed that the matter be examined immediately and the court be informed about the action taken before the next hearing on December 10. Copies of the order were also sent to the competent authority and the DCP, Panchkula, for compliance. Meanwhile, testimonies of the two other prosecution witnesses were recorded during the proceedings. The four arrested accused-Ashish alias Baba, Sachin alias Sourav, Dharmender, and Amit Gulia-were produced through video conferencing. The CBI also submitted a status report regarding open-dated arrest warrants issued against the absconding accused: Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, Nakul Sangwan, Atul Gulia, and Khushpreet Lather. During the previous hearing on October 15, one witness was granted an adjournment due to illness, while another was summoned through a bailable warrant of Rs.5,000 for non-appearance despite prior notice. In September, the CBI court had framed charges against the four arrested accused, while the other four remain proclaimed offenders. The court had earlier denied bail to accused Amit Gulia and Dharmender. The case pertains to the assassination of Nafe Singh Rathee, then Haryana INLD chief, and his party worker Jai Kishan, who were shot dead in Bahadurgarh on February 25, 2024. The case, initially registered by the Jhajjar Police, was later transferred to the CBI, which re-registered it on May 1, 2024, under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to murder and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Arms Act....