New Delhi, Mar 03: The Supreme Court today dismissed petitions filed by Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, accused in the Nitish Katara murder case, seeking transfer of the case from the present trial court to any other court on the ground that the judge was prejudiced against them. A bench comprising Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P V Reddi, while rejecting the plea for transfer of the case, said that it was open for the accused to air their grievances about the procedure adopted in recording of evidence before the sessions court.
Vikas and Vishal, son and nephew respectively of Rajya Sabha MP D P Yadav, had stated that they did not expect fair trial from additional sessions Judge S N Dhingra whose remarks during the trial proceedings were not only prejudicial to them but also to their clan. Upholding the Delhi High Court order rejecting such a plea, the apex court bench said, "We see no ground for transfer of the case."
The case against Vikas and Vishal was first registered in Ghaziabad in which prosecution had alleged that the accused had kidnapped Katara from a marriage party in Ghaziabad and murdered him on Feb 17 last year as they did not like his friendship with their sister. The case was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court direction as the victim's mother Neelam Katara had pleaded that she did not expect fair trial at Ghaziabad alleging that the accused were threatening the witnesses.
Bureau Report