Nitish Katara murder: SC refuses to extend Vikas Yadav’s interim bail

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the interim bail of Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year prison term in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, and asked his counsel to approach the Delhi High Court for it.

During a brief hearing, his counsel told a Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma that instead of sending Yadav to the high court, the top court itself should hear his bail extension plea.

Earlier, the Bench had extended Yadav’s interim bail by a week. Yadav’s counsel said that he would move the high court after the Bench hinted at rejecting his plea challenging an August 22 order of the Delhi High Court that had refused to extend his interim bail granted by the top court on July 29.

Last Monday, Justice N Kotiswar Singh had recused himself from the hearing even as the top court extended Yadav’s interim bail by a week.

Yadav (54), who has spent over 23 years in jail, also sought interim bail on the grounds that his marriage was fixed for September 5 and he had to arrange Rs 54 lakh, the fine imposed on him at the time of sentencing.

Vikas Yadav, the son of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav were punished for the kidnapping and murder of business executive Nitish Katara.

They kidnapped Katara from a wedding on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002, and then killed him for his alleged affair with Vikas’ sister Bharti Yadav as he belonged to another caste.

Another co-convict, Sukhdev Pehalwan, was given a 20-year jail term without any remission benefit. On July 29, the top court ordered his release after he completed his 20-year sentence in March this year.