Nitish Katara murder: Indian Supreme Court gives Vikas, Vishal Yadav 25 years

India’s Supreme Court today awarded a 25-year jail term to Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav for the murder of 25-year-old MBA graduate Nitish Katara in 2002.

Vikas Yadav, the son of influential Indian politician DP Yadav, and Vishal Yadav had abducted Nitish from the wedding of his classmate on the outskirts of New Delhi in February 2002.

Nitish had fallen in love with Vikas’ sister, Bharti Yadav. Vikas and his family were allegedly opposed to it. 

With the help of a hired killer, Sukhdev Pehalwan, the duo “ took him home, then, god knows where, killed him and dumped his body”, according to Supreme Court Justice JS Khehar’s observation, The Hindustan Times reported.

The Supreme Court also sentenced co-convict Sukhdev Pehalwan to 20 years in prison.

The trial court held that Nitish's murder was an honour killing. 

Nitish’s mother Neelam Katara said she was satisfied with the court’s verdict.

"We wanted the death sentence, but am happy that the court acknowledged that this was not normal murder but an honour killing by rich people drunk on power," Katara told NDTV.

"Of course I wish they had got 10 years more. The evidence they destroyed was my son's body, not a pair of slippers,” she added.

(WION)