Nitish Katara murder convict withdraws parole plea in Delhi HC

New Delhi: Vikas Yadav, one of the three killers of Nitish Katara serving a 25-year jail term without remission, today withdrew his plea seeking two months parole from the Delhi High Court.
Vikas did not pursue his application for parole after Justice Vipin Sanghi appeared disinclined to release him.

The court said the convict has been taking law into his hands and misusing the system using his "political clout".

Vikas had sought parole for two months to maintain social ties and arrange for Rs 54 lakh, a fine imposed on him by the high court.

The high court had on February 6, 2015 enhanced the jail term of Vikas and Vishal Yadav from life imprisonment to 25 years without remission for murdering Nitish Katara and five more years for destruction of evidence in the case.

The Yadavs' acquaintance Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehelwan was also awarded an enhanced life sentence of 25 years.

It had also imposed a fine of Rs 54 lakh each on Vikas and his cousin Vishal.

The three were awarded life term by a trial court for abducting and killing Katara, a business executive and son of an IAS officer, on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002. They did not approve of the victim's affair with Bharti, the daughter of politician D P Yadav.

The high court had on April 2, 2014 upheld the verdict of the lower court, describing the offence as "honour killing" stemming from a "deeply-entrenched belief" in the caste system.

The apex court had in October last year modified the Delhi High Court verdict that had said that separate jail terms of 25-years and five years for the offences of murder and destruction of evidence would run consecutively against Vikas and Vishal.

The apex court had said that both the jail terms would run concurrently and would effectively lead to the award of 25 years of imprisonment to the Yadavs.
Simultaneously, Pehalwan, who