By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday dismissed the bail applications of Vikas and Vishal Yadav, who are serving life sentence for killing Nitish Katara in 2002.
A division bench comprising Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice P.K. Bhasin dismissed the bail pleas of Vikas Yadav, son of Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav.
“According to the trial court there is sufficient corroboration for other evidence to establish the guilt of the appellants. We also do not find any distinction at the stage in the cases of both Vikas and Vishal Yadav,” the bench stated in the order.
The court also cleared the confusion as to which state is liable to file an appeal in this case and stated that Delhi government will be handling the case from now on.
It also issued notice to Delhi Police asking it to explain why there has been a significant delay in filing the appeal against the lower court’s judgement.
The matter was slated for further hearing Aug 26.
“Although Vikas is in custody for seven years and Vishal for over four years, the length of their incarceration cannot be a ground by itself for granting bail,” the bench said while relying on the lower court’s order of sentencing the cousins to life imprisonment.
Vikas and Vishal had kidnapped Nitish on the night of Feb 16, 2002 from a marriage party in Ghaziabad and killed him. Vikas was opposed to his sister Bharti’s intimacy with Katara.
In June last year, Vikas and Vishal Yadav were sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing. They have appealed against the lower court order in the high court.