Nitish Katara murder: SC seeks UP Govt’s reply on convict’s interim bail plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to respond to an interim bail plea of the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case convict Vikas Yadav - who is serving a 25-year jail term - to attend to his ailing mother.

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A Bench led by Justice AS Oka said it would be open for the Uttar Pradesh Government to constitute a medical board to examine the condition of his mother who is admitted to Yashoda Hospital in Ghaziabad. "The medical board will also consult doctors of the said hospital and peruse the records," it said, posting the matter for further hearing on April 15.

Placing on record her medical documents, Yadav's counsel said his mother's condition deteriorated in February and she was in the ICU after refusing to undergo a surgery.

On behalf of Katara’s mother Nilam Katara, senior counsel Aparajita Singh questioned the convict’s conduct in jail, saying he visited AIIMS 98 times on medical grounds even as the Bench noted that he had undergone a substantial part of the sentence.

Son of UP politician DP Yadav, Vikas was sentenced by the top court on October 3, 2016, without any benefit of remission. His cousin Vishal Yadav was also awarded the same sentence for the kidnapping and murder of Katara, who allegedly had an affair with Vikas's sister. Another co-convict Sukhdev Pehalwan was given a 20-year jail term without any remission benefit.