Sukhdev Yadav, one of the three men convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara honour killing case that shook the nation, died on Tuesday night in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar, barely four months after completing a 20-year prison sentence.
According to police, a speeding car rammed into a motorcycle carrying three men around 10 pm. Sukhdev, also known as Pahalwan, died on the spot, while his two companions, Vijay Gupta (45) and Bhagwat Singh (50), were rushed to hospital with critical injuries.
Convicted in one of India’s most infamous honour killings
Sukhdev was convicted alongside cousins Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav for the murder of 23-year-old Nitish Katara, a business executive who was abducted from a wedding in Ghaziabad on 16 February 2002. Katara was in a relationship with Bharti Yadav, the sister of Vikas and daughter of former MP DP Yadav, a relationship the influential family strongly opposed.
Three days after the abduction, police found Katara’s charred body near Bulandshahr. A Delhi fast-track court sentenced Vikas and Vishal to life imprisonment in 2008, while Sukhdev was handed a 20-year term.
The Delhi High Court upheld the verdict in 2014, and in 2016, the Supreme Court confirmed 25-year prison terms without remission for the Yadav cousins.
Released after serving 20 years
Sukhdev had moved the Delhi High Court seeking parole, which was rejected, following which he approached the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the apex court observed that he had already completed his 20-year sentence and was entitled to release without the need for remission, unlike in life imprisonment cases.
The Delhi government had opposed his plea, arguing that his release required remission approval, but the Supreme Court ruled that remission was unnecessary for fixed-term sentences.
Katara’s mother had opposed his release
Nitish Katara’s mother, Neelam Katara, had publicly voiced her opposition to Sukhdev’s release in August, stating that the convicts showed no remorse for their crime.
Police investigation underway
Police have seized the vehicle involved in the accident and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash that claimed Sukhdev Yadav’s life.
Inputs from TOI
According to police, a speeding car rammed into a motorcycle carrying three men around 10 pm. Sukhdev, also known as Pahalwan, died on the spot, while his two companions, Vijay Gupta (45) and Bhagwat Singh (50), were rushed to hospital with critical injuries.
Convicted in one of India’s most infamous honour killings
Sukhdev was convicted alongside cousins Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav for the murder of 23-year-old Nitish Katara, a business executive who was abducted from a wedding in Ghaziabad on 16 February 2002. Katara was in a relationship with Bharti Yadav, the sister of Vikas and daughter of former MP DP Yadav, a relationship the influential family strongly opposed.Three days after the abduction, police found Katara’s charred body near Bulandshahr. A Delhi fast-track court sentenced Vikas and Vishal to life imprisonment in 2008, while Sukhdev was handed a 20-year term.
The Delhi High Court upheld the verdict in 2014, and in 2016, the Supreme Court confirmed 25-year prison terms without remission for the Yadav cousins.
Released after serving 20 years
Sukhdev had moved the Delhi High Court seeking parole, which was rejected, following which he approached the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the apex court observed that he had already completed his 20-year sentence and was entitled to release without the need for remission, unlike in life imprisonment cases.The Delhi government had opposed his plea, arguing that his release required remission approval, but the Supreme Court ruled that remission was unnecessary for fixed-term sentences.
Katara’s mother had opposed his release
Nitish Katara’s mother, Neelam Katara, had publicly voiced her opposition to Sukhdev’s release in August, stating that the convicts showed no remorse for their crime.Police investigation underway
Police have seized the vehicle involved in the accident and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash that claimed Sukhdev Yadav’s life.Inputs from TOI
