The Hindu : New Delhi News : I feel relieved: Neelam Katara

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Thursday, May 29, 2008
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I feel relieved: Neelam Katara

Staff Reporter

END OF A STRUGGLE: Neelam and Nitin Katara coming out of the Patiala House courts after the verdict on the Nitish Katara murder case in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Neelam Katara, mother of young Nitish Katara, hailed Wednesday’s verdict in the six-year-old murder case as a “landmark judgment”, while D.P. Yadav, father of prime accused Vikas Yadav and political strongman of Uttar Pradesh, said his son was innocent and had been framed by people who wanted to destroy his political career.

‘Milestone case’

Talking to mediapersons soon after the court had convicted Vikas Yadav and his cousin and co-accused Vishal Yadav, Ms. Neelam Katara termed it a milestone case. “I believe that the judgment will ensure that no son of any mother would meet the fate of my son,” she said, adding that her faith in the judiciary had been vindicated and strengthened by the verdict.

“I am feeling relieved and am grateful to God,” she said.

Nitin Katara, younger brother of Nitish, gave credit to his mother’s relentless effort for the verdict. “I believe Nitish died for love. He died for freedom of expression. He died for that school of thought in which our generation is allowed to make a choice and stand by it. That belief has been vindicated by this decision,” he said.

Asked why he had stayed away from the trial all these years, Nitin said his mother was the big force fighting for justice and that he did not want to be a distraction for her. “My mother is like my God,” he added. On the other hand, Mr. Yadav said his son and nephew were framed in the case and key prosecution witness Ajay Katara had been won over. “These people [Katara family] are just the front. There are people behind them who have put their money to win over Ajay and get my sons convicted,” said Mr. Yadav talking to reporters at his residence.

Though Mr. Yadav did not make a direct comment on the trial court’s decision, he complained about its timing. “When my son’s lawyer had already filed an affidavit that their plea would come up for hearing in the Delhi High Court, what was the hurry to pronounce the verdict before the plea was heard [by the High Court]?” he questioned.

He said influential people financially and politically more powerful than him were targeting his family because they were not able to lay their hands on him.

Mr. Yadav said he would consult his lawyers before deciding on which High Court to approach for appeal. “The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Delhi only for trial. It had not said anything about appeal. The case was registered in Ghaziabad and it falls under the jurisdiction of the Allahabad High Court. We will have to see if it is possible to appeal there,” he said.

‘Re-examine sting’

The former Rajya Sabha member also pointed out that the sting operation carried out by a local daily in which key prosecution witness Ajay had allegedly admitted to having lied in court to favour the prosecution’s story should have been examined.

Reacting to the verdict, defence counsel G.K. Bharti said it seemed the trial court gave the verdict under pressure from some quarters. However, Special Public Prosecutor B. S.Joon said in view of the evidence he was of the firm belief from the beginning that the accused had committed the offence. “In my mind, it was always clear that Vikas and Vishal had committed the gruesome crime and they cannot evade the conviction for their act,” he said.

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