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The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant further extension of the interim bail to Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year-long jail term in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Yadav's counsel to approach the Delhi High Court for extension or grant of fresh interim bail in the case. During the hearing, Yadav's counsel urged the bench to consider the plea seeking extension of interim bail instead of directing him to move the High Court. However, the counsel informed the bench that he would approach the High Court after the apex court hinted that it would reject the plea. Earlier, the top court had extended Yadav's interim bail by one week. Yadav had approached the apex court against an August 22 order of the Delhi High Court, which refused to grant an extension of his interim bail granted by the top court on July 29. Yadav, 54, who has been in jail for over 23 years, had also sought interim bail on the ground that his marriage was fixed for September 5. On April 24, the apex court granted interim bail to Yadav to enable him to attend to his ailing mother, who had undergone surgery and said he shall reside only at his residence in Ghaziabad. The top court has been extending his interim bail since then. Granting interim bail to Yadav, the top court had said he shall not make any contact with the witness who deposed against him and Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara. It had also asked the Uttarakhand and Delhi police to provide security to witnesses and Neelam Katara. The top court had also noted that Yadav has completed 23 years of his imprisonment in the case. Yadav had sought interim bail, saying his mother's condition was serious, and his assistance and presence were needed. Yadav's plea raising the issue of denial of remission benefit to him has also been pending before the apex court. A trial court in May 2008 held Vikas Yadav guilty of murdering Nitish Katara for being in a relationship with his sister. On October 3, 2016, the apex court gave jail terms without any benefit of remission to Vikas Yadav, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav for their role in the kidnapping and killing of business executive Katara. They kidnapped Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002 and then killed him for his alleged affair with Vikas' sister Bharti Yadav. Bharti was the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav. (ANI)
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