Vikas Yadav's Parole Extended by Week Amid Upheld Conviction in 2002 Murder Case

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh extended the parole of Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year-long jail term in the 2002 murder case of Nitish Katara, by a week. Yadav had approached the apex court against an August 22 order of the Delhi High Court, which refused to grant an extension of his parole granted by the top court on July 29. The High Court had doubted whether it had the power to extend the parole granted by the top court and posted his matter for further hearing on September 2.

Key Takeaways:

• Vikas Yadav's parole was extended by a week in the 2002 murder case of Nitish Katara, despite being convicted and serving a 25-year jail term.
• Yadav had sought parole to attend to his ailing mother, who had undergone surgery, but the High Court doubted its power to extend the parole granted by the top court.
• Yadav has been in jail for over 23 years and has completed 23 years of his imprisonment in the case.
• The top court had granted Yadav parole earlier, but attached conditions including not making any contact with the witness who deposed against him and Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara.
• Yadav's plea, which raises the issue of denial of remission benefits to him, has also been pending before the apex court.
• A trial court in May 2008 held Vikas Yadav guilty of murdering Nitish Katara for being in a relationship with his sister.

Statistics:

• 25 years: The length of Vikas Yadav's jail term in the 2002 murder case.
• 23 years: The number of years Yadav has been in jail, including incomplete years.
• 9: The number of additional days the parole for Yadav was extended by the bench.
• 22: The date when the Delhi High Court refused to grant an extension of Yadav's parole.
• 29: The date when the top court granted Yadav parole on July 29.
• 5: The date when Yadav's marriage was fixed, which prompted his plea for parole.

Sources:

• ANI (September 1)