Nithari murder case: Allahabad High Court acquits Maninder Pandher and Surender Koli in Nithari case, overturns death penalty

New Delhi/Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court has acquitted the primary accused in the infamous Nithari killings, Surinder Koli, in 12 cases for which he was previously sentenced to death by a trial court. Moninder Singh Pandher, the co-accused, has also been acquitted in two cases.

According to officials, Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, who had been sentenced to death for rape and murder, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. The death sentences of both Koli and Pandher have been canceled following this significant verdict.

#WATCH | Manisha Bhandari, lawyer of Nithari case convict Moninder Singh Pandher, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

"Allahabad High Court has acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher in the two appeals against him. There were a total of 6 cases against him. Koli has been acquitted in all… pic.twitter.com/BYQHeu3xvz — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 16, 2023

The serial killings occurred at Moninder Singh Pandher's residence in the Nithari area of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, between 2005 and 2006. Surinder Koli worked as an aide at Pandher's home, where he would lure children into the house, allegedly raping and murdering them in conjunction with Pandher. The bodies of the children were dismembered, and body parts were thrown into drains to eliminate evidence. The case came to light when neighbors discovered the body parts of a missing child in a drain near Pandher's home. 

Subsequent investigations revealed a series of gruesome murders of several more children, leading to the involvement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed 19 cases against Pandher and Koli in 2007. Surinder Koli was found guilty of the rape and murder of multiple children at his employer's house, and the duo was also convicted of the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman.

Pandher's lawyer, Manisha Bhandari, stated, "The Allahabad High Court has acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher in the two appeals against him. He faced a total of six cases. Koli has been acquitted in all appeals against him here."

Nithari horror: Unraveling the gruesome past of a Noida village

The grim saga unfolded in December 2006 when a gruesome discovery was made: human skeletons were found in a drain near a residence in Nithari village, situated in Noida. This shocking revelation led to the arrest of Surinder Koli and his employer, Moninder Singh Pandher, as they were suspected in the disappearance of one of the victims. Following Koli's confession, a police investigation delved deeper into the case, unearthing the harrowing truth behind the children's bodies.

Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, registering 16 separate cases. Surinder Koli was charged in all of them for various crimes, including murders, abductions, rapes, and the destruction of evidence. Moninder Singh Pandher was charged in one case involving immoral trafficking.

Additionally, two police officers faced suspension due to their failure to take action, despite being informed about the numerous cases of missing children.

The house where these horrific crimes transpired, a sealed 435-square meter property located at D-5, Sector 31 in Noida, still stands today. However, it has been ransacked, with nearly every item inside missing. The tragedy compelled several families of the Nithari victims to relocate over the years, as they found it unbearable to continue residing near the site where these unspeakable acts occurred. Notably, many of the victim's families were migrants from West Bengal and Bihar who had come to the National Capital Region (NCR) in search of a livelihood.

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- With inputs from agencies

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