Nitish Katara case: SC issues notice to UP Police

The court asks the Uttar Pradesh Police to respond within two weeks to the petition filed by Vikas Yadav, reports Satya Prakash.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh police on the bail plea of former Rajya Sabha MP DP Yadav's son Vikas Yadav, who is facing trial in the Nitish Katara murder case.

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A Bench headed by Justice KG Balakrishnan asked the Uttar Pradesh Police to respond within two weeks to the petition filed by Vikas, who challenged a Delhi High court order dismissing his bail application.

The High Court had refused him bail on the grounds that he could influence and pressurize his sister, Bharti Yadav, a key prosecution witness in the case. Vikas has now sought bail on the ground that he had been in jail for four years and the trial was unlikely to conclude shortly.

His co-accused cousin Vishal Yadav is already on bail in the case.

Nitish, son of a senior bureaucrat was allegedly kidnapped from a marriage party in Ghaziabad and then murdered in 2002, as the Yadav family did not approve of Bharti's relations with him.

Bharti, who left for the UK after the incident, has been avoiding recording of her testimony despite issuance of a non-bailable warrant and initiation of proceedings to declare her as a proclaimed offender.

She is expected to come from London to depose in the case on November 25 following an assurance given to the court by her counsel in this regard.

Email Satya Prakash: satya.prakash@hindustantimes.com