Supreme Court approves furlough for Sukhdev Yadav
The Supreme Court has given Sukhdev Yadav, convicted in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Nitish Katara, a three-month furlough after noting he's spent 20 years behind bars.
The court said he should be brought before the trial court within a week to set the rules for his temporary release.
What is furlough?
Furlough isn't a sentence cut—it's more like a short break for prisoners who've served long terms.
The Supreme Court made it clear that Yadav's release is temporary and comes after two decades in jail, with final conditions set by the trial court.
This move also overturns last year's Delhi High Court decision that had denied him furlough.
Nitish Katara's murder and conviction details
Nitish Katara was kidnapped from a wedding and murdered by Sukhdev, Vikas, and Vishal Yadav because of his relationship with Bharti Yadav—something her family opposed due to caste differences.
The trial called it an "honor killing" driven by caste-based hatred.
Sukhdev got a 20-year sentence; Vikas and Vishal received 25 years without remission.