The Delhi Prisons administration has rejected the furlough request of Vikas Yadav, who is serving a life term in Tihar jail for killing business executive Nitish Katara in 2002, after his conduct was found to be “unsatisfactory”. A senior official said he had applied for furlough a few days ago but it was rejected by the Director-General (Prisons) Satish Golcha last week. Vikas, the son of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav, was awarded a 25-year jail term by the Supreme Court in 2016 along with two others for their role in the sensational kidnapping and killing of Katara. A furlough is given in cases of long-term imprisonment. The period of furlough granted to a prisoner is treated as remission of his sentence. Furlough is seen as a matter of right for a prisoner, to be granted periodically irrespective of any reason, and merely to enable the prisoner to retain family and social ties and to counter the ill effects of prolonged time spent in prison. The order issued on October 23 by the DS-Legal, PHQ, Delhi Prisons, said, “Convict Vikas Yadav, son of D P Yadav, is undergoing life sentence in case FIR no 192/2002 (actual imprisonment of 25 years without consideration of remission). His conduct has been found to be unsatisfactory as he was punished on May 28, 2012, July 10, 2013, October 10, 2017 for violation of prison rules.” The order was also sent to the jail superintendent of Central Jail No 3 in Tihar where Vikas is currently lodged. The order further states, “Vikas has been sentenced to undergo life imprisonment, which shall be 25 years of actual imprisonment, without consideration of remission by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in Crl appeal and this order of Delhi High Court was also confirmed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. As the convict has not earned any remission including annual good conduct report (AGCR), which is a prerequisite condition, he cannot be given any furlough as per rule-1223.” According to the order, Rule 1223 of Delhi Prison Rules-2018 states that a convict must fulfil two criteria: the prisoner should not be a habitual offender and have good conduct in prison, and should have earned rewards in the last three AGCR and continue to maintain good conduct. “…Therefore, his furlough is rejected. The convict may be informed under proper acknowledgement,” it states. On October 3, 2016, the Supreme Court had awarded a 25-year jail term without any benefit of remission to Vikas and his cousin Vishal for their role in Katara’s killing. Another co-convict Sukhdev Pehalwan was also handed down a 20-year jail term in the case. Prior to this, the Delhi High Court, while upholding the life imprisonment awarded to Vikas and Vishal by the trial court, had specified a 30-year sentence, without any remission, to both of them. It had awarded a 25-year jail term to Pehalwan. All three were convicted and sentenced for kidnapping Katara from a marriage party on the intervening night of February 16-17, 2002 and then killing him for his alleged affair with Vikas’s sister Bharti. Katara was murdered as Vishal and Vikas did not approve of his affair with Bharti because they belonged to different castes, the lower court had said in its verdict.
