Served 20 years in jail: Top court grants furlough to Nitish Katara murder convict

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehalwan, one of the convicts in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, to be released on furlough for three months. The court granted interim relief to Yadav, noting that he has been in continuous incarceration for 20 years.

Sukhdev Yadav, who was arrested in 2005, was a contract killer who carried out Katara's murder at the behest of chief conspirators - Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav.

The top court's decision came in response to a petition filed against the Delhi High Court order dated November 25, 2024, which had rejected his request for furlough. The Supreme Court observed it was not re-examining the nature of the crime but focusing on the legal principles around furlough after long imprisonment.

Yadav was convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and among other charges. His sentence was later modified to life imprisonment with a stipulation of 20 years of actual jail time without remission. His counsel argued that this period has now been completed.

The complainant's lawyer opposed the plea, pointing to Yadav's conduct. Reference was also made to a February 2025 High Court order in which a judge recused herself due to attempts to try to influence the court.

The Supreme Court questioned the role of the complainant at this stage of the case, stating that their responsibility ended after the conviction. The court said while it was granting temporary release, proper conditions would be imposed to ensure the furlough was not misused.

The Additional Solicitor General suggested that the complainant's safety should be taken into account, which the court agreed to. Yadav was directed to be produced before the trial court within seven days, where his release will be finalised with appropriate conditions.

The matter was scheduled for the next hearing by a regular bench on July 29.

NITISH KATARA MURDER CASE

On February 17, 2002, Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, kidnapped and murdered Katara, 25, who was an MBA graduate and an IAS officer's son. Vikas Yadav is the son of former Uttar Pradesh minister Dharam Pal Yadav.

The motive behind the murder was Katara's intimacy with Vikas's sister Bharti Yadav. They took the help of a contract killer, Sukhdev Yadav, to carry out the murder.

On February 20, 2002, Katara's body, charred and hammered, beyond recognition, was found near Hapur crossing in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr.

After years of investigation and trials, Vikas and Vishal Yadav were sentenced to 25 years in jail, while Sukhdev was handed a 20-year sentence.

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