Don’t grant parole to Vikas Yadav: Govt appeals to HC

As per sources, the government in its affidavit has also sought tougher custodial conducts with the convicts.

Earlier on Monday, Nitish Katara’s mother Neelam Katara expressed deep concern over the repeated parole granted to Vikas Yadav and two other convicts in the Nitish Katara murder case. She had also urged the Tihar Jail authorities to revive its working system and asked the Delhi government to look into the matter.

A report quoting Neelam said: “I expect the Delhi government will go to the bottom of this. Also another criminal who is with Vikas and also convicted in my son’s murder, Sukhdev Pehelwan, he has also been going to his home town every month twice. I would like the Delhi government to get into the details of both these people as to how they are allowed to go. Why they are allowed to go? I think the Tihar Jail should revive its working system,” the report added quoting her. Neelam’s reaction comes in wake of reports that Vikas was granted parole twice last year on the pretext of attending court proceedings in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. 

Neelam had told the Delhi high court earlier in March that if Vikas, convicted of murdering her son Nitish, is released on parole, he may kill someone else and 10 years later the victim’s mother could be standing before the court seeking justice. The submission was made before Justice Siddharth Mridul while opposing Vikas’ plea for four weeks’ parole to sell his ancestral property in Uttar Pradesh.

It may be recalled that Nitish Katara, a 25-year-old business executive was murdered on February 17, 2002. After investigation and trials, Vikas Yadav and two others were convicted for the murder.

Reportedly, Nitish had fallen in love with his classmate, Bharti Yadav, sister of Vikas. The trial court held that Nitish’s murder was an honour killing because the family did not approve their relationship. Vikas and Vishal Yadav were later found guilty by the trial court and awarded life sentence on May 30, 2008.

On April 2, 2014, the Delhi high court upheld the trial court verdict of life imprisonment to the accused. On February 6, 2015, the High Court on re-appeal on Death Sentence, extended sentence as 25-years rigorous Life Imprisonment without remittance.