Probe ordered against DP Yadav

Key-witness Ajay Katara as he alleged before the court on Monday that he was being threatened by DP Yadav, former MP and father of an accused.

Even as final arguments in the Nitish Katara murder case proceeds, the trial witnessed another controversy involving key-witness Ajay Katara as he alleged before the court on Monday that he was being threatened by DP Yadav, former MP and father of an accused.

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Taking note of Ajay's allegations, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur directed Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Meerut Zone, to probe the charges and take necessary action.

The court's direction came on a complaint by Ajay who alleged that Yadav was threatening him and his family as he had categorically identified the politician's son Vikas and his cousin Vishal as the persons seen with Nitish in a car before the victim was found murdered.

According to the complaint, various false cases were also being lodged against him at Ghaziabad at the instance of the father of Vikas Yadav.

The development comes barely four days after Yadav was asked by the court to furnish an explanation for commenting on veracity of Ajay as a prosecution witness and the merits of the case at a press conference.

Yadav had earlier termed Ajay, being projected by the prosecution as the witness of "last seen evidence", as a "planted" witness and questioned the investigation in the case while demanding a CBI probe.

Frowning upon Yadav for having violated its earlier direction restricting anybody, except the prosecutor, to comment on the case, the court has sought his presence before it on October 16 to explain himself.