SC moved for restoration of death sentence to Pandher in Nithari killings

Haldar (15),who was also raped and killed,has sought restoration of death penalty for Pandher who was given the capital punishment by the sessions court along with main accused Surinder Singh Koli.

Though both Pandher and Koli were sentenced to death by the trial court,the Allahabad High Court had on September 11,2009,acquitted Pandher of the crime while confirming the death sentence on Koli.

Aggrieved by the acquittal,Haldar,though counsel B P Singh Dhakray,submitted the high court has erroneously acquitted Pandher of the charges though on the same set of circumstantial evidence,the death sentence of the other accused had been upheld.

The SLP submitted that the recovery of bones,skulls,and weapons used in crime knives and hacksaw were made collectively at the instance of both the accused persons,which has been declared in trial court as a joint recovery at the instance of both the accused.

The 2005 killings in Noida,near here,had sparked a national outrage and the case was transferred to CBI in January 2007 and CBI submitted 15 charge-sheets out of 19 FIRs in which Moninder Singh Pandher has been given “clean chit”.