SC grants 3-month furlough to Sukhdev Yadav

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted three months’ furlough to Sukhdev Yadav alias 'Pehalwan', a convict in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case. 

A Bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran ordered that Sukhdev Yadav 'Pehalwan', who is serving a 20-year jail term in the sensational case, be produced before the trial court concerned, which will set conditions for furlough.

The safety and security of victim Neelam Katara, the mother of the deceased Nitish Katara, will also be taken into consideration, added the Justice Bhuyan-led Bench.

In the sensational case, 'Pehalwan' was handed a 20-year jail term without consideration of remission and fine of Rs 10,000.

Co-convicts Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav, among others, were convicted and sentenced to 25 years of actual imprisonment without consideration of remission for kidnapping Katara from a marriage party in February 2002 and then killing him for his alleged affair with Vikas' sister Bharti Yadav.

Vikas Yadav is the son of Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav. Katara was murdered as Vishal and Vikas Yadav did not approve of his alleged relationship with Bharti because they belonged to different castes, the lower court had observed in its verdict.

In March this year, the Supreme Court had issued a contempt notice to the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi government in the matter and sought an explanation as to why action should not be taken against him under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

After the top court was apprised that the Sentence Review Board (SRB) was yet to consider Sukhdev 'Pehalwan’s' plea for remission, it told the senior official of the national Capital government to remain present before it on March 28, the next date of listing, through video conferencing.

The Delhi government had previously given an assurance to decide within two weeks the remission plea of 'Pehalwan'. Later, the Supreme Court accepted the apology tendered by the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi government for the time being.