NEW DELHI: Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year-long jail term in 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking furlough for three weeks. The petition has been listed for hearing on January 8.
In his plea, Yadav, who is the son of a former politician DP Yadav, argued that he has been in continuous judicial custody for over 22 years without any liberty.
The petition, filed through advocates Kanhaiya Singhal and Prasanna Ajay Kumar, claims that Yadav’s jail conduct has been satisfactory for the past four years and that he has not been involved in any wrongdoing during his incarceration, except for alleged past misconduct.
“The petitioner has maintained his character and seeks furlough to re-establish social ties and reconnect with his family, having been separated from society for 22 years,” the plea stated.
The petition also alleges discrimination in granting furlough, highlighting that other prisoners convicted of similar offences are being granted this privilege. “The arbitrary denial of furlough to the petitioner is causing severe mental distress and harassment,” the plea argued.
Furlough is a temporary release granted to prisoners after a stipulated period of incarceration as a means to motivate good behavior within the prison system.
Earlier this year in October, the Delhi prison rejected the furlough of Yadav, citing three instances, 28 May 2012, 10 July 2013, and 10 October 2017, of punishment due to violation of prison rules, including aggression towards other inmates.
Nitish Katara, a 23-year-old business executive, was murdered on February 17, 2002.
Vikas Yadav, along with his cousin Vishal Yadav, was convicted by the trial court for the crime in 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The murder was reportedly motivated by Yadav’s objection to Katara’s relationship with his sister.
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Court acquits three in kidnapping case
A Delhi court has acquitted three men accused in a 2016 kidnapping-for-ransom case, citing insufficient evidence to establish their involvement. ASJ Vishal Pahuja delivered the verdict on December 16, clearing Rahul Yadav, Bharat Yadav, and Iqbal alias Kala of all charges. The court observed that the prosecution failed to present any substantial evidence linking the accused to the crime.
Additionally, all witnesses, including the father of the victim, turned hostile and did not identify the accused as the perpetrators. The order further highlighted the absence of scientific or forensic evidence, such as call recordings, to support the charges. The case dates back to October 2015, when the complainant’s son and his driver were allegedly kidnapped, with a ransom demand of Rs 60 lakh made by the perpetrators. The FIR was registered at Fatehpuri Beri police station.