Nitish Katara murder: SC seeks UP govt’s response on Vikas Yadav'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.

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 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 April 15.

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

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said Yadav's mother was in hospital and she could be examined there by the medical board to be set up by the UP government.

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.

Yadav said his mother Umesh Yadav was critically ill and hospitalised in the ICU. The treating doctors, the plea said, advised immediate surgical intervention given her medical condition. "Due to the serious condition of the petitioner’s mother, his assistance and presence is needed," Yadav submitted.

Son of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, Vikas Yadav 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 business executive Katara who allegedly had an affair with Bharti Yadav, sister of Vikas. Another co-convict Sukhdev Pehalwan was given a 20-year jail term without any remission benefit.