Delhi High Court Reviews Remission Plea in Nitish Katara Murder Case

The Delhi High Court, on Friday, issued notices to key government bodies, including the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice, in response to a petition by Vikas Yadav. Convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, Yadav is seeking statutory remission of his 25-year sentence.

Vikas Yadav, who has spent over 23 years in prison, has also petitioned for interim bail due to his impending marriage on September 5. The court, while acknowledging his plea for arranging the Rs 54 lakh fine, scheduled the next hearing for September 2, despite his counsel's request for an expedited hearing.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan argued that denying remission infringes upon Yadav's rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed Yadav's writ petition but allowed him to approach the High Court on the remission issue. The case, involving the murder of Nitish Katara, continues to evoke strong opposition from Katara's family, who maintain that the crime deserves no leniency.

(With inputs from agencies.)