New Delhi [India], September 1 : The Supreme Court on Monday extended by a week the interim bail to Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year-long jail term in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh extended the interim bail of Yadav by a week, and Justice Singh recused from hearing the matter.
Justice Sundresh informed the lawyers appearing for the parties that a different bench will hear the matter after getting orders from Chief Justice BR Gavai.
Yadav had approached the apex court against an August 22 order of the Delhi High Court, which refused to grant an extension of his interim bail granted by the top court on July 29.
Yadav, 54, who has been in jail for over 23 years, sought interim bail on the grounds that his marriage was fixed for September 5.
The High Court, however, doubted whether it had the power to extend the interim bail granted by the top court and posted his matter for further hearing on September 2.
The apex court had granted Yadav interim bail to enable him to attend to his ailing mother, who had undergone surgery.
On April 24, the apex court granted interim bail to Yadav and said he shall reside only at his residence in Ghaziabad. His bail was later extended for four weeks.
Granting interim bail to Yadav, the top court had said he shall not make any contact with the witness who deposed against him and Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara. It had also asked the Uttarakhand and Delhi police to provide security to witnesses and Neelam Katara.
The top court had also noted that Yadav has completed 23 years of his imprisonment in the case.
Yadav had sought interim bail, saying his mother's condition was serious, and his assistance and presence were needed.
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.
On October 3, 2016, the apex court gave jail terms without any benefit of remission to Vikas Yadav, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav for their role in the kidnapping and killing of business executive Katara.
They kidnapped Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002 and then killed him for his alleged affair with Vikas' sister Bharti Yadav. Bharti was the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav.