Feb 16-17, 2002: Nitish Katara (24), son of an IAS officer, was killed by Vikas, his cousin Vishal and their henchman Sukhdev Pahelwan after being abducted from a marriage party in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Feb 17: Neelam Katara lodges an FIR at Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad after the mysterious disappearance of her son Nitish from the party. She suspects role of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav and others. Police recover an unidentified body at Khurja in Bulandshahr district.
Feb 20: The proceedings to declare Vikas and Vishal as proclaimed offender start.
Feb 21: Neelam Katara identifies the body.
Feb 23, 2002: Vikas and Vishal arrested from Dabra Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh.
Feb 25: Accused brothers record their disclosure statements.
Feb 26: CJM court in Ghaziabad remands accused to custodial interrogation.
Feb 28: A hammer and victim's wrist watch recovered from the place of occurrence at the instance of accused.
Mar 11: Police recover a Tata Safari car allegedly used in the offence from a factory in Karnal.
May 3: Police chargesheet the accused under Section 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
Nov 23: Charges framed against the accused.
Nov 29-30, 2006: Bharti Yadav, sister of accused, deposes in the case.
Apr 19, 2007: Recording of statements of prosecution witnesses concludes with the examination of 43 witnesses including Ajay Katara.
Apr 20: Both accused start recording their statements in the case.
May 15: Recording of statements of the accused concludes.
May 30, 2007: Examination of defence witnesses starts.
Sep 28: The examination of defence witnesses concludes with recording of testimonies of 26 witnesses.
Dec 6: The prosecution concludes final arguments.
Apr 16, 2008: The defence concludes final arguments.
Apr 30: The prosecution and defence submit their written arguments in the court, which fixes May 14 for pronouncing the date of verdict.
May 12: Vikas files an application for re-examining witness Ajay Katara in the light of a sting operation, allegedly revealing that the witness took money for testifying in the case.
May 14: Court issues notice to the Delhi government on Vikas's plea.
May 24: The plea of Vikas was disposed of following the submission that Ajay Katara had admitted to the contents and veracity of the CD.
May 26: Accused file fresh plea on the issue.
May 27: Additional sessions judge Ravinder Kaur dismisses application and fixes the case for pronouncement of verdict on May 28. Accused approach the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain trial court from delivering the verdict.
May 28: The trial court convicts Vikas and Vishal for murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence in the case. The quantum of sentence to be pronounced on May 30.
