A Delhi court today deferred hearing final arguments in the eight-year-old Nitish Katara murder case against Sukhdev Pehalwan, as the defence counsel did not appear.
A Delhi court today deferred hearing final arguments in the eight-year-old Nitish Katara murder case against Sukhdev Pehalwan, third accused besides Vikas and Vishal Yadav, as the defence counsel did not appear.
"Put the matter on September 20 for advancing of remaining arguments as the counsel for accused, Sushil Bajaj, was not available today," additional sessions judge JR Aryan said.
The court is hearing arguments on behalf of the accused as special prosecutor BS Joon has already concluded his submissions saying, "there was clinching evidence to prove the complicity of Sukhdev Pehalwan in the murder."
"The fact the present accused absconded for nearly three years would go against him," the prosecutor had said.
Since this case was widely covered in the media, the accused cannot take the plea that he was not aware of the fact that he was an accused in the case, he had said.
Pehalwan is standing trial separately from Vikas and Vishal Yadav as he absconded after the incident and was arrested in 2005.
A Delhi court had earlier awarded rigorous life term to Vikas and his cousin Vishal Yadav for their role in the murder of Nitish, a business executive.
The Yadavs have filed appeals in the Delhi high court against their conviction in the case.
According to the prosecution, Pehalwan was present with accused Yadavs in their car after they had abducted Nitish from a marriage function in Ghaziabad and killed him on the night of February 16, 2002. The Yadavs did not approve the affair of their sister Bharti Yadav with Nitish.
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