The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Central Government, the Delhi Government, and the victim's side, seeking their responses on a petition filed by Vikas Yadav, who is serving a life sentence in the high-profile 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, seeking his release.
Nitish Katara Murder Case: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Central Government, the Delhi Government, and the victim's side on an interim bail petition filed by Vikas Yadav, who is serving a life sentence in the high-profile 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, seeking bail for his wedding. The High Court has sought responses from all parties by September 2nd. Vikas Yadav stated in his petition that his wedding is scheduled for September 5, 2025.
Furthermore, he seeks interim bail to arrange for the payment of the imposed fine of ₹54 lakh. In this regard, he has cited Article 21 of the Constitution in the High Court, seeking relaxation under the right to life.
Court Issues Notice to Central and Delhi Governments
During the hearing of the petition in the Delhi High Court, a bench of Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Law, the Delhi Government, and Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara, ordering them to file their responses. The Court stated that the arguments of all parties in this matter would be carefully considered.
Vikas Yadav's lawyer argued in court that his client has already served more than 23 years of his sentence and this wedding could be the last opportunity to give his life a new beginning. He also stated that Vikas Yadav does not have a permanent source of income, hence the need for interim bail.
What did the victim's side say?
The lawyer appearing for Nitish Katara's mother informed the High Court that there is no legal provision for interim bail after conviction. He said that the convict is only entitled to parole or furlough, not interim bail. During the hearing, the court commented on this, stating that the provision of interim bail after conviction is completely unheard of. The court asked Vikas Yadav's lawyer to present a b legal basis for it.
