Nithari killings: Allahabad High Court acquits key suspects Surender Koli, Moninder Pander; cancels death penalty

The Allahabad High Court Monday acquitted the two prime suspects - Surender Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher - in the 2005-2006 Nithari serial killings case in Noida for lack of evidence.The court has acquitted Koli in all the 12 cases for which he had been awarded the death sentence by the trial court. His co-accused Pandher was acquitted in two cases in which he was sentenced to death.There were a total of 16 cases registered against businessman Pandher and his domestic help Surender Koli for serial killings in 2005 and 2006.The CBI had filed closure reports in three of the 19 cases due to lack of evidence.Nithari killingsThe infamous Nithari killings in Uttar Pradesh's Noida had sent shockwaves across the country. The murders were committed between 2005 and 2006 and came to light on December 29, 2006, when the skeletal remains of about eight children were found in a drain near a house in Nithari whose owner was Pandher and Koli was his domestic help.Koli was found guilty of rape and murder of several girl children between 2005 and 2006.During further searches of drains in the area around Pandher's house, more skeletal remains were found most of which were that of poor children and young women who had gone missing from the area.Within 10 days, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which charge sheeted Koli for murders, abductions, and rapes apart from destruction of evidence, while Pandher was booked for immoral trafficking.Back then, two policemen were also suspended for failing to take action despite being informed about a number of children missing.The horrific crime was reported at a now ‘sealed’ 435-square meter house which is at D-5, Sector 31 in Noida.With inputs from agencies