Nithari killings: A 16-year timeline of gruesome killings, rapes and acquittals
The CBI had registered 16 cases against Surinder Koli for the alleged murder, abduction, and rape of women along with the destruction of evidence. Koli’s employee Maninder Singh Pandher was also booked in a case of trafficking.
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Nithari killings accused Moninder Singh Pandher (L) and Surinder Koli. (Express file Photo)
The Allahabad High Court Monday acquitted the prime suspect in the Nithari killings, Surinder Koli, in 12 cases and co-accused Maninder Singh Pandher in two cases. The High Court acquitted Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, who were awarded death sentences on the charges of rape and murder, for lack of evidence.
The CBI had registered 16 cases against Surinder Koli for the alleged murder, abduction, and rape of women along with the destruction of evidence. Koli’s employee Maninder Singh Pandher was also booked in a case of trafficking.
A Ghaziabad court, however, had summoned Pandher in five other cases after families of other victims approached the lower court.
Here’s the timeline of the gruesome Nithari murders and their discovery:
December 2006
The murders first came to light when human remains were found in a drain near the house, D5, owned by Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida’s Nithari.
Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli were accused of abducting and raping children and women from nearby villages of Nithari, committing acts of cannibalism, and disposing of their bodies in a drain in the locality.
The two were arrested on December 29, 2006 after police recovered skeletons and other belongings of some missing girls from the drain. Koli had allegedly killed several girls, chopping their bodies to pieces before throwing them in the backyard outside their house.
2006-2009
Several CBI teams visited the Nithari house and interrogated the accused. Police filed 19 FIRs against Pandher and Koli relating to crimes against 19 different girls, and the CBI filed chargesheets in 16 of them.
February 13, 2009: Koli and Pandher were convicted and sentenced to death by a special CBI court for the rape and murder of a 14-yr-old, one of many victims and the very first case.
2011-2014
In an appeal to Allahabad HC in this case, Koli’s death sentence was affirmed while Pandher was acquitted. After this Koli filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, which was dismissed in 2011.
Later, a review petition by Koli was also dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2014.
2015 January
Allahabad HC commuted Koli’s sentence to life imprisonment in this case, citing “inordinate delay in the disposal of the mercy petition.”
2017
CBI special court in Ghaziabad awarded death sentence to Pandher and Koli in connection with the case of rape and murder of a 25-year-old help
CBI had said the victim went missing on Oct 12, 2006. Her identification was done through clothes found from human remains behind Pandher’s house.
2023
The court acquitted Pandher in two cases and Koli in 12; the latter is convicted in one case and will remain in jail. The father of the 14-yr-old victim (2009 case) has challenged the HC order that commuted Koli’s death sentence in SC. It is pending.
October 16, 2023: Allahabad HC Monday acquitted the duo for lack of evidence.
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