Victim’s mother Neelam Katara calls it a “miscarriage of justice” after the Supreme Court orders the release of Sukhdev Yadav, convicted in the Nitish Katara murder case.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently ordered the release of Sukhdev Yadav, also known as Pehelwan, one of the three convicts in the infamous 2002 Nitish Katara murder case. The decision has deeply upset Neelam Katara, mother of the 23-year-old victim, who has been fighting a relentless legal battle for justice over the past two decades.
Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Neelam Katara described the court’s decision as a “complete miscarriage of justice”, expressing shock, hurt, and disappointment.
On July 29, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered Yadav’s release, stating that convicts who have completed their sentences must be released immediately without any special review, except for those serving life terms for the rest of their natural lives, in which case a Sentence Review Board (SRB) order is required.
Sukhdev Yadav had been serving a fixed-term life sentence of 20 years, which the court deemed ended on March 9, 2025. When his release was denied by the SRB due to his conduct in prison, Yadav challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. The court first granted him furlough and later ordered his release.
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The crux of the controversy lies in the interpretation of Yadav’s sentence. According to Neelam Katara, his sentence was not a fixed-term sentence but a life imprisonment with no remission for 20 years.
She explained:
“After 20 years, he was eligible for remission only if the Sentence Review Board thought so. They decided he was not ready to rejoin society because of various things he may have done during his jail term.”
The sentence, she says, originated from the 2016 Supreme Court decision that commuted the death penalties of the three convicts into life imprisonment with different non-remittable durations:
- Sukhdev Yadav – 20 years without remission
- Vikas Yadav – 25 years without furlough
- Vishal Yadav – 25 years without furlough
Neelam Katara insists the recent decision undermines the original sentencing intention.
Background of the Case
Nitish Katara, a 23-year-old business executive, was brutally kidnapped and murdered in February 2002 due to his relationship with Bharti Yadav, the daughter of former MP DP Yadav. The murder, carried out by Bharti’s brother Vikas Yadav, cousin Vishal Yadav, and friend Sukhdev Yadav, was widely seen as an honour killing.
Initially, the trial court sentenced all three men to death. However, the Delhi High Court later commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment with enhanced punishment terms.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court on Nitish Katara Case: ‘Liberty of an Individual’ at Stake
Neelam Katara’s Stand
“I completely agree that if someone’s sentence is over, they should be let out. But this sentence is not over,”
she told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
She added,
“It (the top court’s decision) is shocking. It is hurtful. And it is not fair. It is biased and that’s what hurts.”
She maintains that the Supreme Court’s interpretation has prematurely ended Yadav’s sentence and ignored the role of the Sentence Review Board in determining his readiness to re-enter society.
Case Title:
Sukhdev Yadav @ Pehalwan v. State of NCT of Delhi
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.3271 OF 2025
READ JUDGMENT HERE
