I am sure justice will prevail: Neelam Katara

New Delhi, May 28:Neelam Katara, the mother of murderd Nitish Katara, today expressed satisfaction over a court verdict convicting Vikas Yadav, the son of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav in connection with the crime.

"I'm very happy with the verdict and I am confident that justice will prevail," she said. I know this is not the end yet and there are many more battles to be fought but this is a huge milestone," she said minutes after the court verdict. I ask my countrymen to be with me, and together we will take it together till the end." Neelam has been campaigning to get justice for her son after he was murdered in February 2002.

Vikas and Vishal on Wedneseday were found guilty of murdering Nitish Katara by Patiala house court

The court is likely to pronounce quantum of sentence, which may range from life term to death penalty on May 30.

Vikas and Vishal had allegedly abducted Katara, the son of an IAS officer, from a marriage party in Ghaziabad on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002.

The victim's body was later recovered from a village in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr District.

According to the prosecution, Katara, a business executive, was killed by the two accused, as they did not approve of their sister Bharti Yadav's growing proximity with him.

Earlier, the prosecution had produced evidence of Ajay Katara having seen the accused taking Nitish to their car on the fateful night near Hapur Chungi in Ghaziabad. The accused contended that the chain of events in the case remained incomplete as none of the prosecution witnesses had either supported the abduction or identified the main accused.

Ajay Katara's testimony was also challenged on the premise that the police recorded his statement over 20 days after the crime.

ANI