New Delhi: 17 years after the horrifying Nithari murders in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which shook the entire nation with its macabre revelations and grim discoveries, the prime accused, Surinder Koli, has been acquitted of all charges. The Allahabad High Court, on Monday, cleared Koli of 12 cases, and his employer, Moninder Singh Pandher, a co-accused in the case, was acquitted in two cases. Their death sentences have been revoked due to insufficient evidence.
Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, initially convicted of rape and murder, were absolved based on the lack of evidence, according to officials. These serial murders occurred at Moninder Pandher’s residence in the Nithari area of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, between 2005 and 2006, as per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Koli, who served as a domestic help at Pandher’s home, lured children into what many referred to as the “house of horrors.” Within this gruesome abode, Koli and Pandher were alleged to have raped and murdered these children. To cover their tracks, the police claimed that they dismembered the victims’ bodies and disposed of them in drains.
The horrifying investigation began when body parts of a missing child were discovered in a drain near Pandher’s residence, leading to a massive probe that unveiled the identities of additional victims. The ensuing allegations of murder, mutilation, and even cannibalism captured the nation’s horrified attention for weeks and months.
Following several gruesome child murders, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 2007, the CBI filed 19 cases against Pandher and Koli. Surinder Koli had previously confessed to engaging in sexual acts with the deceased victims and even consuming parts of their bodies. The duo was also convicted of the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman.