Nithari killings: Allahabad HC acquits accused Surendra Koli, Moninder Pandher
What's the story
The Allahabad High Court on Monday cleared the prime accused, Surinder Koli, of all charges in 12 cases concerning the infamous 2005-06 Nithari serial killings.
Meanwhile, the co-accused, Moninder Singh Pandher, was acquitted in two cases.
Now, the death sentences imposed on them in these cases also stand revoked.
The chilling Nithari murder case, uncovered in 2006, involved the discovery of numerous human remains near Pandher's home in Noida Sector 31, Uttar Pradesh, and sent shockwaves across the nation.
Development
Why HC acquitted prime accused
A bench of the HC comprising Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi on Monday said it found Koli innocent in 12 cases and Pandher in two.
It noted the prosecution was unable to prove the guilt of the accused and its case "beyond reasonable doubt."
Notably, 16 cases were filed against Koli in connection with the Nithari murders. However, he was awarded the death penalty in only 12, in which he has now been acquitted.
Details
Background of Nithari killings
The horrifying killings reportedly occurred between 2005 and 2006, with Koli accused of abducting, raping, and murdering several children in the vicinity of Noida's Nithari village.
He allegedly lured kids to Pandher's house with sweets and chocolates before killing them and engaging in necrophilia. Koli was also accused of cannibalism.
The case gained national attention when skeletons were found in a drain near Pandher's residence in December 2006. Pandher, Koli's employer, was also implicated in the case.
Insights
Police failed to register, probe case timely
Before Koli was employed at Pandher's bungalow as domestic help, an abnormally high number of women and children went missing in Nithari in 2003, per online legal education provider iPleaders.
Although cops were informed, they allegedly took no action and even failed to register missing reports. In 2005, some boys playing cricket discovered a plastic bag containing a decaying limb in the drain behind Pandher's bungalow.
But the police dismissed it, calling it an animal carcass, the prosecution witnesses said.
Details
Scores of human skeletons found
In May 2006, a woman named Payal went missing. After much furor, cops reportedly registered a case, and her mobile phone was traced to Koli, who called her a day before she went missing.
Koli was arrested, but Pandher bailed him out. After the police didn't find anything significant in its probe, the girl's father approached the court, and an investigation was ordered subsequently.
Following this, scores of plastic bags filled with human skeletons were recovered from the aforementioned drain.
Case
Suspected organ trafficking racket
A doctor living near Pandher's bungalow had been under police scanner for suspected kidney trafficking racketeering, PTI reported in 2007.
Moreover, the bodies were reportedly found with torsos missing, adding to the suspicion. The police said there were at least 31 child victims.
Six cops were suspended for failing to take action despite being informed, and the residents even demanded the removal of the then-Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh. Koli confessed to killing six kids and Payal.