Six years of the Nitish Katara murder case

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated:

The Nitish Katara murder case, as it proceeded from February 2002 when his body was found to Wednesday when a city court held Vikas and Vishal Yadav guilty.

NEW DELHI: The Nitish Katara murder case, as it proceeded from February 2002 when his body was found to Wednesday when a city court held Vikas and Vishal Yadav guilty of kidnapping and murdering him:

Feb 16-17, 2002: Nitish Katara abducted from a marriage party in Ghaziabad.

Feb 20, 2002: The body of Nitish Katara found in a village in Bulandshahr. His alleged girlfriend Bharti Yadav, daughter of influential Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav, leaves for Britain.

March 11, 2002: The Tata Safari allegedly used in the murder recovered from GT Road, Karnal.

March 31, 2002: Uttar Pradesh police files a four-page chargesheet.

April 23, 2002: Prime accused Vikas and Vishal Yadav arrested from Madhya Pradesh.

Aug 23, 2002: Supreme Court transfers the case from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

Nov 23, 2002: Charges framed against the three accused - Vikas, Vishal and Sukhdev.

April 7, 2003:  A separate trial starts against the third accused Sukhdev Pahalwan, who was arrested in 2005. The trial in Sukhdev's case is at the stage of prosecution evidence.

March 2004: All witnesses, except D.P. Yadav's daughter Bharti Yadav, depose in  court.

November 2005: Prime witness Bharti Yadav returns to India.

May 2006: Bharti Yadav's passport is revoked.

Nov 25, 2006: Bharti Yadav deposes in court after three years of notices and summons.

December 2007: The prosecution wraps up its final arguments and claims Bharti Yadav's alleged proximity to Nitish resulted in her brothers murdering him.

April 2, 2008: Trial court begins hearing the Nitish Katara murder case on a day-to-day basis.

April 23, 2008: Trial in the Nitish Katara murder case ends.

May 27, 2008: Court fixes date for pronouncement of verdict.

May 28, 2008: Court holds Vikas and Vishal Yadav guilty of murder. Quantum of sentence to be pronounced May 30.