Supreme Court clears way for Sukhdev Yadav's release
The Supreme Court has ordered the release of Sukhdev Yadav, who was convicted for the 2002 murder of Nitish Katara.
Yadav had finished his 20-year sentence by March 2025, and the court made it clear that serving this term was enough—rejecting arguments that life imprisonment should mean more years.
This comes after Yadav was already given a three-month furlough earlier this year.
Yadav was convicted in Katara murder case
Yadav, a co-convict with Bharti Yadav's brothers, was found guilty along with them for kidnapping and murdering Katara—an honor killing rooted in caste-based opposition to Katara's relationship with Bharti.
The Supreme Court also pointed out that once someone finishes their sentence, only the court can decide on their release—not any government authority.
This decision followed a previous High Court order that had denied Yadav's furlough last year.