NEW DELHI: As the Supreme Court began hearing the Nitish Katara murder case on Monday, Justice N Kotiswar Singh recused himself from the proceedings.
On the same day, the apex court extended by one week the interim bail of convict Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case. The extension was granted on medical grounds.
The bench, comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh, was hearing Yadav’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s August 22 order that had refused to prolong his interim bail. Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted him interim bail on July 29.
The court has repeatedly extended Yadav’s interim bail, primarily due to his mother’s health condition. On April 24, the Supreme Court allowed him interim bail till May 8, under strict conditions. The court directed that his ailing mother be admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, for medical examination by a board of doctors. It also instructed that Yadav himself undergo a medical check-up.
While granting bail, the court ordered that Yadav could only meet his mother and must stay at his residence in Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad. He was required to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the same amount. The court also asked Uttarakhand and Delhi Police to provide security to witnesses and to Neelam Katara, Nitish Katara’s mother, during Yadav’s bail period.
Vikas Yadav was convicted by a trial court in May 2008 for murdering Nitish Katara, who was in a relationship with his sister Bharti. On October 3, 2016, the Supreme Court upheld his 25-year jail term without remission. Yadav’s cousin Vishal Yadav was also awarded the same sentence. Both are sons of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav.