New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today issued notice to the governments of NCT and Uttar Pradesh on the appeal filed by Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal against their conviction in the Nitish Katara murder case.

In June this year Vikas, son of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav, and Vishal were awarded life sentences for killing Katara, son of an IAS officer and a MBA graduate. The two convicts had killed Katara as they were against their sister Bharti's alleged relation with him.

A Division Bench of Justice Anil Kumar and Justice V K Shalli sought both Delhi as well as UP governments response by January 27 next year.

Earlier, the counsel for Yadav's had opposed strongly the Delhi government being made a necessary party on the appeals filed by the convicts, saying that the incident happened in Ghaziabad, UP and the public prosecutor was appointed by the UP government during the trial of the case. The Bench, however, rejected his submission and issued notice to the city government.

Filing the appeal, Yadav brothers contended that the trial court had wrongly held them guilty for the murder of Katara, despite the fact that there was no direct evidence against them.

Alleging that the trial judge had ignored certain facts in the case, they said the court relied on the deposition of Ajay Katara, who was an interested witness in case.

They also stated that the crime-related articles including the wrist watch and the recovered murder weapon, were planted by the prosecution.

Yadav brothers had kidnapped Katara on the night of February 16, 2002 from a marriage party in Ghaziabad and later killed him.
Source : PTI