Noor Kataria turns hostile in court

Model Noor Kataria, whose alleged relationship with accused Baljinder Singh Sandhu alias Talla was seen at the motive behind the murder of the latter8217;s wife, Anuradha, earlier this year, retracted from her statements on Wednesday.

Model Noor Kataria, whose alleged relationship with accused Baljinder Singh Sandhu alias Talla was seen at the motive behind the murder of the latter8217;s wife, Anuradha, earlier this year, retracted from her statements on Wednesday. Additional District and Sessions Judge S K Aggarwal declared her 8220;hostile8221; after the 21-year-old told the court that Baljinder never proposed to marry her and that she never made any statement to the police in the case.

According to the prosecution, Noor had told the police during investigations that Baljinder had promised to marry her and keep her in the US where he would stay with her for six months a year. She had reportedly told the police that Baljinder planned to spend the remaining time in India. Baljinder was a property dealer by profession.

In her statement to the police, Noor had reportedly said she met Baljinder during her stint in modelling. In the court, however, Noor said she came in contact with him through a common friend when she was a

first year BA student of the Government College for Girls in Sector 11. Noor is now a third-year student of the college.

She was allegedly into a relationship with the accused at the time of the murder, and according to the prosecution, this was the reason why Baljinder killed his wife. Noor came to the court with her sister Bulbul Kataria.

During cross-questioning, she admitted to have known the accused for more than one year prior to the murder. 8220;We used to meet at clubs and parties, but in groups. We were just friends,8221; Noor said.

Anuradha8217;s 11-year-old daughter was also present in the court but she could not be questioned for want of time. The court posted the case to December 15 for next hearing.

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Earlier, Anuradha8217;s brother Harish was cross-examined at length. He stood by his earlier statements that Baljinder and Anuradha were not on good terms and that he had seen them quarrelling. He, however, told the court that he never expressed his suspicion to the police against the accused.

Anuradha was found murdered at her Sector-38 W residence on May 18. After narrowing down their suspicion on domestic help Nikku and his accomplice Ashok, the police arrested Baljinder, claiming him to be the mastermind. The police had said the accused had given a flat to Noor in the same sector. On May 23, the police arrested Noor on charges of possessing a fake licence, which had been recovered from the flat. The police had also said Baljinder used to give her Rs 20,000 as pocket money every month.