SC grants interim bail to Nitish Katara convict.

New Delhi

On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Vikas Yadav, a convict in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, allowing him to meet his ailing mother. Yadav, serving a 25-year sentence, was given bail until May 8. The court instructed that Yadav's mother be examined by an AIIMS medical board. It also imposed conditions, including that Yadav stay confined to his Ghaziabad home and avoid contacting witnesses, including Katara's mother, Neelam. He must deposit a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and provide a similar surety.

Vikas Yadav, son of Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav, was convicted alongside his cousin Vishal Yadav for kidnapping and murdering Nitish Katara in 2002. They opposed Katara’s alleged relationship with Bharti Yadav, Vikas's sister, due to caste differences. Another co-convict, Sukhdev Pehalwan, received a 20-year jail term without remission. The Delhi High Court had earlier upheld life sentences for Vikas and Vishal Yadav, specifying a 30-year term without remission, and a 25-year sentence for Pehalwan. Vikas's request for remission was rejected last year after his prison conduct was deemed unsatisfactory.