The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a final four-week extension of interim bail to Vikas Yadav, who is serving a life sentence in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case. Yadav, son of former MP D.P. Yadav, had sought additional time to care for his ailing mother, who recently underwent spinal surgery.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and K. Vinod Chandran passed the order, making it clear that no further bail extensions would be granted on medical grounds. “Any application for extension (of bail) can only be filed after surrender,” the bench said.
While earlier bail conditions had required Yadav to remain confined to his residence in Murad Nagar, Ghaziabad, the court has now permitted him to accompany his mother to hospital visits.

This is the fourth time the apex court has extended Yadav’s interim bail. His earlier extensions were granted on May 8, May 19, and June 17 to facilitate his mother’s surgery, which was conducted on May 25. The latest extension will expire in four weeks, after which Yadav must surrender.
Senior Advocate S. Guru Krishna Kumar, appearing for Yadav, argued that the petitioner should not be barred from seeking bail on non-medical grounds in the future. The court took note of this submission but maintained its stand on no further extensions based on his mother’s health.
Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, representing the Delhi government, pointed out that the initial bail was granted solely for the mother’s operation, which has now been completed. The petitioner’s mother is currently undergoing physiotherapy, the ASG said.
Yadav, in his plea, also highlighted challenges in arranging a ₹50 lakh fine imposed by the Delhi High Court in its 2015 order upholding his conviction. He submitted that he needs time to dispose of immovable property located across different states and lacks an Aadhaar card due to his long incarceration spanning over 23 years.
Vrinda Bhandari, counsel for Neelam Katara—mother of the deceased Nitish Katara—opposed any relaxation in bail conditions, citing the petitioner’s influence. “The trial had to be shifted from Ghaziabad to Delhi due to his power and reach,” she argued.
The court, however, observed, “So long as he is not committing any offence, what is the problem? If he violates the condition, the bail will be cancelled,” while upholding its order to relax house confinement.
The Nitish Katara case, which drew national attention, involves the abduction and murder of Katara on the night of February 16–17, 2002, over his alleged relationship with Bharti Yadav, sister of Vikas Yadav. In 2006, the Supreme Court transferred the trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi to ensure a fair process. All accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court in 2011—a decision upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2015 and affirmed by the apex court in 2016. The Supreme Court also ruled that Yadav’s remission be considered only after he completes 25 years in prison.