Katara murder case-Vikas Yadav accuses political rivals

Vikas Yadav, prime accused in the Nitish Katara murder case, on Tuesday alleged before a Delhi court that he got implicated in the case at the instance of his father D P Yadav's political rivals and due to media hype.

"The case was highlighted and media hype was such that it gives a reasonable inference that the whole case against me is politically motivated and we have been victimised by those at the helm of affairs," he said, concluding his deposition before Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur.

"My father has always been a formidable rival for the ruling party in UP and it is the common knowledge in the UP that whoever was trying to confront and pose a rival to the ruling party was implicated in false cases," Yadav said.

Reiterating his earlier stand that he did not even know the victim, he also accused complaint Neelam Katara by saying "She has also misused media. She has misused her political influence and certain political leaders to settle their scores through her by politically victimising my family."

Claiming innocence, Yadav said that he could not even think of committing any crime at that moment as there was chances of his winning the assembly election in which he had contested.

He termed "his implication as a well planned conspiracy" and said "I seek justice and wish that further victimisation or incarceration be stopped."

Vikas and his cousin Vishal are accused of kidnapping and murdering Katara, a business executive on February 16-17, 2002 after taking him from a marriage party in Ghaziabad as they were allegedly averse to Katara's proximity with their sister Bharti.