The Supreme Court on Thursday gave Sukhdev Pehlwan, convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder, three months’ furlough, offering him his first significant reprieve after two decades behind bars.
A Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Vinod Chandran noted that Pehlwan has served 20 years without remission.
The Court also directed the Delhi Police to provide security to Nitish Katara’s mother, Neelam Katara and brother Ajay Katara.
The justices ordered Pehlwan to appear before the trial court within seven days so that the lower court can spell out the furlough’s terms and conditions.
Pehlwan had asked for release until he finishes the remainder of his sentence; he had appealed a November 2024 Delhi High Court decision that denied him a three-week furlough.
Earlier, the Supreme Court rebuked the Delhi government for delaying Pehlwan’s remission file and even issued a contempt notice to the Principal Secretary (Home) for failing to act.
The Bench remarked that the government often procrastinates in similar matters and demanded an explanation of who ultimately controls such decisions.
During the proceedings, the Court emphasised that Pehlwan’s continued incarceration touched directly on his fundamental right to personal liberty.
The Bench asked why the state intended to keep him in prison after March 10, 2025, the date his 20-year sentence ended.
Pehlwan’s counsel urged immediate release, pointing out that his term had expired.
In a 2016 ruling, the Supreme Court had reduced the sentences of co-accused Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav to 24 years and Pehlwan’s to 20 years, overturning earlier Delhi High Court sentences of 30 years and 25 years respectively.
The Court had declined to impose the death penalty, stating that the crime, though heinous, did not fall into the ‘rarest of the rare’ category, warranting capital punishment or imprisonment for the remainder of life.
Vikas and Vishal Yadav, nephews of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav, along with Pehlwan, were convicted of kidnapping and murdering 24-year-old Nitish Katara on 17 February 2002.
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