Tuesday 12 July 2011

Nitish Murder

  • Tuesday 12 July 2011
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  • Neelam Katara today termed it as "shocking" that a Delhi Court did not consider the murder of her son Nitish Katara as an "honour killing" when it was established he was eliminated for his intimacy with Bharti Yadav, sister of main accused Vikas and Vishal Yadav.
    "I am shocked that the court had not considered it as a case of honour killing. I think there is a lapse of clarity on the issue of honour killing," Neelam said to mediapersons after the court sentenced Sukhdev Pehalwan, the third convict in the case, to life imprisonment.
    Unhappy with the sentence awarded to Pehalwan, she said her son's "murderer should be awarded death penalty" and she would approach the Delhi high court for enhancement of the punishment.
    "This is a case of honour killing. The Supreme Court had recently said that convicts of honour killing cases should be awarded death penalty. I too want death penalty for the convict in this case," Neelam said.
    She said the court has said that if near and dear ones of the accused family had been murdered, then it would consider it as a case of honour killing.
    "It is a complete misconception. I am shocked that it was not considered to be a case of honour killing," she said.
    She also said her plea seeking enhancement of the punishment awarded to Vikas and Vishal Yadav in the murder case is still pending in the high court.
    A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Sukhdev Pehalwan, a third accused in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, to life imprisonment. He was earlier convicted of destruction of evidence and kidnapping the victim.

     Additional Sessions Judge J R Aryan had held Sukhdev gulity on July 6 for helping the two accused Vikas Yadav and his cousin brother Vishal Yadav in abducting and killing Nitish Katara. The court also awarded a fine of Rs 20,000 to Pehalwan.

    Vikas Yadav is the son of former Rajya Sabha member D P Yadav and Vishal is his nephew. They were convicted in the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008. Both are serving their life term in Tihar jail.

    Nitish Katara was a business executive. He was killed for his relationship with Vikash and Vishal Yadav's sister Bharti Yadav. Nitish was missing on February 16, 2002 and after four days he was found dead near Hapur. 

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