Katara murder: Third accused Sukhdev Pehalwan awarded life term

NEW DELHI: Gangster Sukhdev Pehalwan, the third accused in the Nitish Katara kidnapping-cum-murder case, was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi Court.

The punishment was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge J R Aryan who on July 6 had held him guilty for helping former Rajya Sabha member D P Yadav's son Vikas Yadav and nephew Vishal Yadav in abducting and killing Katara in 2002 for being friendly to their sister Bharti Yadav.

Vikas and Vishal were earlier awarded rigorous life imprisonment for their role in the murder of Nitish, a business executive and son of an IAS officer.

Pehalwan has also been fined Rs 20,000. His trial was separated from that of Vikas and Vishal as he had jumped bail and was declared an absconder. His trial started only after his arrest in 2005.

The court had said that Pehalwan was with Vikas and Vishal Yadav during the murder.