Delhi High Court seeks response from Nitish Katara's family, Tihar Jail on Vikas Yadav plea for furlough

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from Nitish Katara’s family and the Delhi government on a plea filed by his murderer, Vikas Yadav, seeking furlough for three weeks [Vikas Yadav v. The State NCT of Delhi Through Secretary & Ors]. 

Justice Ravinder Dudeja asked Katara’s mother Nilam Katara, brother Ajay Katara, the Tihar Jail Director General and the Delhi government’s Home Secretary to file their replies. 

The case will be heard next on November 27.

Nitish Katara, a 25-year-old business executive, was abducted and murdered in 2002 by Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav - relatives of politician DP Yadav - because of his relationship with Bharti Yadav, Vikas’s sister. 

The crime was deemed an “honour killing”, as it was committed on caste and family honour issues. Katara’s charred body was found near Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. After years of trials and appeals, both Vikas and Vishal Yadav were sentenced to life imprisonment. 

In his plea, Vikas Yadav has challenged the order of the DG Prisons rejecting his plea for release from jail. He has argued that he has served over 23 years of a fixed 25-year sentence for life imprisonment. 

Yadav’s furlough application was denied by the prison authorities citing the seriousness of his crime, absence of required annual conduct reports and opposition from the victim’s family, which expressed fears for their safety if he were released.

However, Yadav has stated that he was on interim bail for over 4 months for his mother’s medical treatment and marriage, during which there were no incidents or complaints about misuse of liberty.

“That it is humbly submitted denying furlough to the petitioner is discriminatory on the face of it as convicts who are involved in graver crimes are regularly being released on furlough as against the petitioner who has been granted bail by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India for approximately four and a half month in the present case and never misused the liberty as stated above,” Yadav said in his petition. 

Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for Vikas Yadav. The petition for furlough has been filed through advocates Hemendra Jailiya and Sanjay Baranwal.