The Delhi High Court has sought responses from Nitish Katara’s family and the Delhi government on the convict Vikas Yadav’s plea seeking a three-week furlough after serving over 23 years in the 2002 honour killing case.
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought responses from the family of Nitish Katara and the Delhi government regarding a plea filed by Vikas Yadav, convicted in the infamous Nitish Katara murder case, seeking a three-week furlough.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja has issued notices to Nilam Katara (Nitish Katara’s mother), Ajay Katara (his brother), the Director General of Tihar Jail, and the Home Secretary of the Delhi Government, directing them to file their replies. The matter will next be heard on November 27, 2025.
Background
Nitish Katara, a 25-year-old business executive, was abducted and murdered in 2002 by Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav, both relatives of former politician D.P. Yadav. The murder, which stemmed from Nitish’s relationship with Bharti Yadav, Vikas’s sister, was termed an honour killing, as it was carried out over perceived caste and family honour issues.
Katara’s charred body was discovered near Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in February 2002. After a prolonged legal battle spanning over a decade, both Vikas and Vishal Yadav were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Vikas Yadav’s Plea
In his petition, Vikas Yadav has challenged the order of the Director General of Prisons, which rejected his plea for temporary release. He claimed that he has already served over 23 years of his 25-year fixed sentence and has maintained good conduct in prison.
Yadav’s plea also noted that he was earlier granted interim bail for over four months to attend to his mother’s medical needs and family functions, and that there were no complaints or incidents of misuse of liberty during that period.
“Denying furlough to the petitioner is discriminatory on the face of it, as convicts involved in graver crimes are regularly being released on furlough,”
Yadav’s petition stated.
Prison authorities had earlier denied Yadav’s request, citing the seriousness of the offence, the absence of required conduct reports, and strong opposition from the victim’s family.
Nilam Katara, Nitish’s mother, has consistently opposed any relaxation in Yadav’s sentence, expressing fears for her family’s safety if he were to be released, even temporarily.
