SC orders release of Nitish Katara murder accused

{ SUKHDEV PEHELWAN } 20 YEARS IN JAIL WITHOUT REMISSION

- Abraham Thomas

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release of Nitish Katara murder convict Sukhdev Pehelwan on completing 20 years of his life-term sentence, without any remission, even as the court, ina separate proceeding, dismissed a plea by another convict, Vikas Yadav, who challenged the 25-year bar on remission imposed as punishment for the crime committed in 2002.

In his petition, Pehelwan sought release, contending that the top court's judgment convicting him in October 2016 had imposed a fixed-term sentence of 20 years without remission.

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and KV Vishwa-nathan accepted the argument and held that as per the 2016 decision, the 20-year sentence ended in March. “In these circumstances, he is entitled to release...He shall be released forthwith if not wanted in any other case,” the court said.