The Supreme Court has ordered the release of Sukhdev Yadav alias ‘Pehalwan’, convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.
The Supreme Court ordered the release of the convict, stating that he had completed his 20-year jail term. It clarified that in cases like Pehalwan’s, where a life sentence is for a fixed duration, the prisoner must be freed once the sentence is served. The Supreme Court also directed that prisoners who have completed their fixed-term sentence should be released immediately.
Three Months’ Furlough To Pehalwan
This comes after the Supreme Court in June granted three months’ furlough to Sukhdev Yadav alias ‘Pehalwan’, in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.
A Bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran ordered that Sukhdev Yadav ‘Pehalwan’, who is serving a 20-year jail term in the sensational case, be produced before the trial court concerned, which will set conditions for furlough.
The safety and security of victim Neelam Katara, the mother of the deceased Nitish Katara, will also be taken into consideration, added the Justice Bhuyan-led Bench.
In the sensational case, ‘Pehalwan’ was handed a 20-year jail term without consideration of remission and a fine of Rs 10,000.
SC Contempt Notice To Delhi Govt Principal Secretary
In March this year, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi government in the matter and sought an explanation as to why action should not be taken against him under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Nitish Katara Murder Case
Former cabinet minister DP Yadav’s son Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav, along with others, were found guilty and handed a 25-year prison term without the possibility of remission for abducting Nitish Katara from a wedding in February 2002 and killing him over his alleged relationship with Vikas’s sister, Bharti Yadav.
According to the trial court, Katara was murdered because Vishal and Vikas disapproved of his relationship with Bharti, as they came from different castes