Nitish Katara murder case: SC grants interim bail to Vikas Yadav till May 8

New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim bail to Vikas Yadav until May 8, who is serving a 25-year-long jail term in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, in view of his mother's health condition.
A bench headed by Justice Abhay S Oka also directed that his mother shall be admitted to AIIMS immediately for two days for medical examination by a board of doctors to be constituted to examine her health condition.
The bench said the medical board shall submit its report on the examination of Yadav's mother to the court by May 7.
It further directed that Yadav shall furnish bail bond of one lakh with one surety of like amount and he shall to reside only at his residence in Ghaziabad.
He shall remain confined to his residence in Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad and he shall be permitted only to visit Yashoda Hospital at Ghaziabad after his mother is shifted to the hospital, said the Supreme Court.
It further said Yadav shall not make any contact with the witness who deposed against him and Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara.
It also asked the Uttarakhand and Delhi police to provide security to witnesses and Neelam Katara.
While dictating the order, the bench said that it was considering the case of interim bail to Yadav only in the context of health condition of his mother.
"For the time being, we are considering whether he can be enlarged on bail so that he can meet his mother and ensure that proper treatment is extended to her," said the bench.
The bench noted that Yadav has completed 23 years of his imprisonment in the case.
Yadav, while seeking interim bail, had said his mother is admitted in Yashoda Hospital, Ghaziabad, and due to the serious condition of his mother, his assistance and presence are needed.
Yadav's plea raising the issue of denial of remission benefit to him has also been pending before the apex court.
A trial court in May 2008 held Vikas Yadav guilty of murdering Nitish Katara for being in a relationship with his sister.
On October 3, 2016, the apex court gave a jail term without any benefit of remission to Vikas Yadav, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav for their role in the kidnapping and killing of business executive Katara.
They kidnapped Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002 and then killed him for his alleged affair with Vikas' sister Bharti Yadav.
Bharti was the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav. (ANI)