Nitish Katara murder: SC extends convict's interim bail by 4 weeks

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The Supreme Court has extended by four weeks the interim bail of convict Vikas Yadav, who is undergoing a 25-year jail term in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.

The plea came up before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran on July 1.

"Though arguments have been made by both the sides with respect to the physical condition of the petitioner's mother, we are inclined to extend the period of interim bail by four more weeks," the bench said.

The top court clarified no further indulgence for extension would be given on medical grounds.

The apex court on April 24 this year granted interim bail till May 8 to Yadav to meet his ailing mother. The interim bail was extended on May 8, May 19 and June 17 respectively.

Yadav's counsel referred to one of the conditions imposed on him by the apex court on April 24.

He sought relaxation of the condition, which stipulated that Yadav should stay at his Ghaziabad house during the period of interim bail.

The counsel said Yadav's mother had already undergone surgery and he want to take medical opinion for her further management.

He referred to Yadav's incarceration of about 23 years.

"The condition imposed earlier vide order dated April 24, 2025 by which the petitioner is required to stay at his residence during the period of interim bail, stands relaxed, only to the extent that he is at liberty to take his mother for medical treatment," the bench said.

On April 24, the top court granted interim bail to Yadav to meet his ailing mother and directed that she be examined by a medical board of AIIMS doctors.

Imposing conditions, the top court directed the convict to remain confined to his house in Ghaziabad and not get in touch with the case's witnesses, including Katara's mother Neelam Katara.

The apex court granted him the relief subject to depositing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of the like amount.

Vikas Yadav is the son of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav.

On October 3, 2016, the Supreme Court awarded a 25-year jail term without the benefit of remission to Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav for their role in the sensational kidnapping and killing of Katara.

Co-convict Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehalwan was given a 20-year jail term in the case.

They were convicted and sentenced for kidnapping Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16 and 17, 2002 and then killing him for his alleged affair with Vikas' sister Bharti Yadav. PTI ABA ABA AMK AMK