SC allows Katara murder convict Vikas Yadav temporary release until March 7

The Supreme Court granted Vikas Yadav temporary furlough until March 7 for Holi, despite objections from the victim's family and prior denials.

New Delhi

While directing him to surrender on March 7 by 5pm, the court also permitted the complainant, Nilam Katara, mother of the victim Nitish Katara, to seek additional security from the authorities concerned. (Archive)

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Vikas Yadav, convicted for the murder of Nitish Katara in 2002, a temporary release on furlough until March 7 to celebrate the Holi festival with his family.

Yadav, who is the son of former parliamentarian DP Yadav, is serving a 25-year term without remission, of which he has already served 23 years. He approached the top court after his request for a three-week furlough was declined by the Delhi High Court on February 11.

While directing him to surrender on March 7 by 5pm, the court also permitted the complainant, Nilam Katara, mother of the victim Nitish Katara, to seek additional security from the authorities concerned.

Katara’s lawyer, Vrinda Bhandari, opposed the grant of furlough and said that the court must first consider his eligibility for such relief. She said that the order of the HC rejecting furlough was passed on February 11 and the convict has deliberately chosen to approach the court at the last minute.

The bench of justices MM Sundresh and Vipul M Pancholi said, “You want to hang him. It is very unfortunate that even after 23 years, you are not permitting him any relief. Don’t get unnecessarily agitated.”

Katara had been pursuing the case of her son’s murder, who was killed by Vikas, his cousin Vishal and one Sukhdev Pehelwan, over the victim’s relationship with Yadav’s sister.

Bhandari told the court that even in the past, Yadav sought interim bail on account of his mother’s illness on April 24 last year and sought to continuously extend it until the top court directed him to surrender. She pointed out that in the Delhi High Court, he sought furlough for his marriage and the complainant had produced evidence to show that he had already been married.

The bench said, “The biggest problem is that you do not let things go. You keep holding things to your heart. Every sinner has got a future.”

Justice Sundresh said that during his term at the Madras High Court, he granted furlough to all the accused in a bomb blast case and the same was objected to by the state. “After furlough, when they returned, their behaviour was changed. Earlier they used to create nuisance in jail. But after spending time with their families and forging societal bonds, they changed,” the judge said.

While the court was inclined to close the petition, senior advocate S Guru Krishna Kumar, appearing for Yadav, requested that it issue notice on the matter and keep it pending. Disputing observations—of the high court holding Yadav ineligible for furlough and jail authorities saying he does not maintain good conduct against him—Kumar said that a prisoner is entitled to three furloughs during his term and this is only the first furlough that he has sought.

The bench issued notice and asked the Delhi government and Katara to file responses within four weeks.

Yadav was initially denied furlough by the jail authorities on October 29, 2025, a decision he challenged in the high court. He claimed eligibility under Rule 1223 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, which states that in order to be eligible for furlough, the prisoner must have good conduct in the prison for the past three years, should not be a habitual offender and must be a citizen of India.

The high court upheld the order rejecting furlough and said, “This court finds no arbitrariness, illegality, or violation of constitutional rights in the order dated October 29 or the corrigendum dated December 1, 2025.”