Supreme Court Mandates AIIMS Medical Board for Accused's Mother

The Supreme Court has directed AIIMS to form a medical board to assess the health of the mother of Vikas Yadav, accused in Nitish Katara's murder case. This comes as Yadav seeks temporary release from his 25-year sentence due to his mother's severe condition.

The Supreme Court instructed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on Tuesday to establish a medical board tasked with evaluating the health of the mother of Vikas Yadav, the accused in the notorious Nitish Katara murder case. The order, issued by a bench led by Justices Abhay S Oka, demanded immediate action from the AIIMS to examine Yadav's mother, who is currently hospitalized in Ghaziabad's Yashoda Hospital.

The court has asked for the medical board's report to be submitted before the next hearing scheduled for April 21. Vikas Yadav, serving a 25-year sentence for the 2002 murder, is appealing for interim release, attributing his request to his mother's deteriorating health condition.

Previously, the Supreme Court had asked for the establishment of a medical board to assess Yadav's mother's health. However, it was disclosed during the hearing that the Uttar Pradesh government took a full week to set up the board, while the Delhi government needed 10 days, by which time Yadav's mother was discharged. Despite her readmission, the apex court has emphasized the need for AIIMS to rapidly assess her current status. Yadav's plea concerning his denial of remission remains pending before the court.

The original trial court verdict in May 2008 found Vikas Yadav guilty of killing Nitish Katara due to his involvement with Yadav's sister. On October 3, 2016, the Supreme Court affirmed a prison sentence for this heinous act without the possibility of remission for Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav. Katara was kidnapped and murdered in 2002, following his relationship with Bharti Yadav, sister of Vikas Yadav and daughter of controversial UP politician DP Yadav.

(With inputs from agencies.)