The Hindu : New Delhi News : Trial proceedings in Katara murder case stayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 29, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Trial proceedings in Katara murder case stayed

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: : The Delhi High Court on Thursday stayed the trial proceedings in the Nitish Katara murder case till further orders.

Justice H.R. Malhotra stayed the on-going recording of statements of the accused persons in the case on a petition by Neelam Katara, mother of Nitish Katara, who was allegedly murdered by Vikas Yadav, son of the former Rajya Sabha Member, D.P. Yadav, in February 2002.

Staying the proceedings, Mr. Justice Malhotra also issued notices to the Delhi Government, the Delhi police and the accused persons asking them to file replies to the pleas in the petition by May 10.

In the order, Mr. Justice Malhotra directed the trial court to keep in abeyance the order allowing the prosecution in the case to drop Ms. Bharti Yadav, daughter of the former Rajya Sabha MP, D.P. Yadav, as a prosecution witness and not to record the statements of the accused till further orders.

In the petition, Ms. Katara sought stay on the recording of the statements of the accused persons and quashing of the decision by the prosecution to drop Ms.Yadav as a witness in the case.

Earlier this month, Ms. Katara moved the trial court seeking cancellation of the passport of Ms. Bharti to force her to come to the country and depose in the case.

She submitted before the Additional Sessions Judge, D.S. Panwaria, conducting trial of the case, that the recording of evidence by Ms. Bharti was important to unravel the motive behind the murder.

The prosecution had last month dropped Ms. Bharti as a prosecution saying that the British government had refused to help the Indian authorities in her extradition to the country on the ground that Ms. Bharti had no case pending against her in that country.

Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, son and nephew of D.P. Yadav, are facing trial for allegedly kidnapping and later killing Nitish Katara in Ghaziabad in February 2002.

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