New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi government to decide in two weeks over remission to Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehalwan, serving a 20-year jail term without remission in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the government how the convict, whose 20 years jail term was ending on March 10, 2025, would continue to remain in prison.
“After all, the issue pertains to liberty of a person,” the bench said.
Justice Oka added, “You should have started the process of granting the remission a long time back. How can he be kept in jail after the period of sentence is over.”
The bench observed the submissions of solicitor general Tushar Mehta and said, “The case of the petitioner shall be considered in two weeks. We accept the assurance and direct that the case be listed for hearing on March 27.”
On February 24, the bench questioned Delhi government’s submission that it would not release Pehalwan even after the completion of his actual 20 years jail term in the case.
The bench perused its judgement, which said, “Life imprisonment which shall be 20 years of actual imprisonment without consideration of remission, and fine of ₹10,000.”
The Delhi government had said even after the completion of 20 years of actual imprisonment, it wouldn’t be releasing the convict.
The top court then ordered the Delhi government home department secretary to file a statement on oath on whether after completing 20 years of actual sentence, the petitioner should be released and asked its counsel if the state was reading court verdicts this way.
Yadav’s plea challenged a November 2024 order of the Delhi High Court, which dismissed his petition for releasing him on furlough for three weeks.
On October 3, 2016, the Supreme Court awarded a 25-year jail term without the benefit of remission to Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal for their role in the sensational kidnapping and killing of Katara.
Co-convict Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehalwan was given a 20-year jail term in the case.
They were convicted and sentenced for kidnapping Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002 and then killing him for his alleged affair with Vikas’ sister Bharti Yadav.
Bharti was the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav.
The trial court observed Katara was murdered as Vishal and Vikas Yadav did not approve of his affair with Bharti as they were from different castes.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.