Bhairon Prasad Maurya, a Bahujan Samaj Party activist and a farmer, told Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur that Vikas had visited the SDM's office in Badaun district to finalise the name of his counting agent as he had contested for Bisauli Assembly seat as an independent candidate.

However, the prosecution had claimed that Vikas and his cousin Vishal were evading arrest after kidnapping and murdering Katara on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002.

"The then SDM of Bisauli, Mahendra Verma, had convened a meeting of all the candidates, who had fought election for the aforesaid Assembly seat, on the morning of February 19, 2002 at his office and it was attended by Vikas Yadav," Maurya said and identified Vikas on Friday in the packed courtroom.

He rubbished public prosecutor B S Joon's claim that Vikas was not there and it was his father D P Yadav who had attended the said meeting.

"I know D P Yadav, father of the accused and I can say that he was not present in that meeting," Maurya, who was summoned as eighth defence witness, told the court.

On being asked as to whether he was aware of the fact that the Ghaziabad Police, during that period, was desperate to arrest Vikas in connection with this case, Maurya said, "I was not aware of any such thing as I was busy with the election campaigning of BSP candidate Gaindalal Maurya."

After the conclusion of Maurya's testimony, Vikas's counsel sought issuance of summons against three persons including the special messenger of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ghaziabad and said that he wanted to examine them to prove the innocence of the accused.

Earlier, Shakti Chand, an employee of Noida-based car service center -- M/s Nawab Motors, had said the Tata Safari car, allegedly used in the offence, was brought at the service centre at 10:48 am on February 16 and remained there till March 10.

The accused had taken the plea that the Tata Safari car of Vikas Yadav, which was allegedly used in abducting Katara on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002, was in fact at the service centre for repairs.

Vikas and his cousin Vishal are accused of kidnapping and murdering Katara on February 16-17, 2002 after taking him from a marriage function in Ghaziabad.