On Monday, the Allahabad High Court acquitted the two main suspects in the notorious Nithari murder case. The court ruled that Surinder Koli, the accused, was not guilty in the 12 cases filed against him, and his co-accused, Moninder Singh Pandher, was also declared innocent in two of the cases against him.
With this, the death sentences awarded to Koli and Pandher stand cancelled. News agency PTI reported that the High Court let the duo go due to a lack of evidence and because the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“Allahabad High Court has acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher in the appeals against his death sentence in two cases. There were a total of six cases against him, of which he was already acquitted in four. Koli has been acquitted in all appeals against him. Now no case is pending against Maninder Singh Pandher in the Nithari case. He will be released from jail,” Pandher’s lawyer Manisha Bhandari told reporters after the hearing. A detailed judgment will be made available at a later date.
The Nithari serial killings, one of the most notorious criminal investigations in recent Indian history, involved the discovery of multiple human remains in and around Moninder Singh Pandher’s residence in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in 2006. The grisly details of the case sent shockwaves across the country and led to the arrest and subsequent conviction of Koli and Pandher.
NITHARI KILLINGS: Arrest and Gruesome Discovery
Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli were arrested on December 29, 2006, after the police recovered skeletons and other belongings of missing children from the drain outside his house in the Nithari locality of Noida.
Koli, who was accused of raping, killing and ditching the remains of his victims in the residence’s backyard and drain, was awarded the death sentence by a lower court. The conviction was upheld by the Allahabad High Court and confirmed by the Supreme Court on February 15, 2011.
Holding that Koli “appears to be the serial killer”, the court had said, “No mercy can be shown to him.” Notably, Koli and his employer Moninder Singh Pandher were also accused of cannibalism and necrophila.
A total of 16 cases were registered against Koli, and he was sentenced to death in twelve of them.
Pandher was convicted in some cases arising out of the Nithari serial killings and acquitted in a few others. Pandher had challenged the death sentence handed down in two of the cases.
Who is Surendra Koli? A recap of the chilling murder case:
- Surinder Koli worked as a domestic help at Moninder Singh Pandher’s house – who is co-accused in the case. The two allegedly raped and murdered children and women at Pandher’s Noida home.
- The sensational killings came to light in December 2006 when the skeletons of eight children were found in a drain near a house in Nithari village in Noida. After further digging and searching, several more remains of children were found – most of whom were of children and young women around the area.
- Within 10 days, the CBI took over the case and its search resulted in the recovery of more bones. Upon investigation, Koli and his employer Pandher were taken into custody – during which Koli confessed to the crimes. Reportedly, he also confessed to raping the dead victims and eating their body parts.
- A total of 19 cases were lodged against Pandher and Koli in 2007 for murders, abductions, and rapes besides destruction of evidence. Pandher was charged with immortal trafficking as well. However, the CBI had filed closure reports in three of the 19 cases due to lack of evidence.
- The authorities suspended two policemen for failing to take action despite being informed about a number of children missing.
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