Today(on 19th July), the Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas from the CBI and Uttar Pradesh government challenging the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal of Surendra Koli in the 2006 Nithari serial killings case. The court also sought a response from Koli and tagged the case with similar pending pleas.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 19th July),The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear separate petitions filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Uttar Pradesh government, challenging the Allahabad High Court’s decision to acquit Surendra Koli in the 2006 Nithari serial killings case. The pleas question the high court’s verdict that had acquitted Koli, overturning his death sentence.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, K V Viswanathan, and N Kotiswar Singh has issued a notice seeking a response from Koli on these petitions. The notice was given on Friday, and the cases were tagged with similar petitions that are already pending before the Supreme Court.
“Notice. Tag,”
-stated the bench.
The apex court had earlier sought a response from Koli on July 8, in response to separate pleas filed by the CBI against the Allahabad High Court’s verdict dated October 16 of the previous year. The top court also agreed in May to hear a plea filed by the father of one of the victims, who challenged the high court’s decision to acquit Koli.
In the Nithari case, Moninder Singh Pandher, Koli’s employer, was acquitted by the sessions court, whereas Koli was initially awarded the death penalty on September 28, 2010. The high court later acquitted both Koli and Pandher, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove their guilt “beyond reasonable doubt” and that the investigation was “botched up.”
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Reversing the death sentence handed to Koli in 12 cases and Pandher in two cases, the high court noted that the prosecution had not proven the guilt of both accused “beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the established criteria for cases based on circumstantial evidence.” The court also criticized the investigation, calling it “nothing less than a betrayal of public trust by the responsible agencies.”
Pandher and Koli faced charges of rape and murder, and were sentenced to death for the heinous killings that shocked the nation with their gruesome details of sexual assault, brutal murder, and possible hints of cannibalism.
In a significant ruling, the high court has allowed multiple appeals filed by Koli and Pandher, who had challenged the death sentence handed down by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad. The high-profile case, which has gripped the nation for years, saw a major development as the court revisited the controversial judgments.
The infamous Nithari killings case, which dates back to 2006, had originally led to 19 cases being lodged against Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help, Surinder Koli. Out of these, the CBI filed closure reports in three cases due to insufficient evidence. In the remaining 16 cases, Koli faced mixed outcomes; he was acquitted in three cases, and in one case, his death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.
The horrific series of events began unraveling on December 29, 2006, when skeletal remains of eight children were discovered in a drain behind Pandher’s residence in Nithari, Noida, close to the national capital. The chilling discovery triggered widespread media coverage and public outcry.
As investigations progressed, further digging and searches in the vicinity of Pandher’s house uncovered more skeletal remains. Most of these remains belonged to poor children and young women who had disappeared from the area, adding to the horror and urgency of the case. The gruesome nature of the findings painted a grim picture of the brutal crimes.
Within just ten days, the CBI took over the investigation, a move that led to even more startling discoveries. Their search efforts resulted in the recovery of additional remains, corroborating the earlier findings and cementing the case’s severity. This meticulous search and investigation process highlighted the scale of the tragedy and the extent of the atrocities committed.
ALSO READ: CBI to Challenge Pandher and Koli’s Acquittal in Nithari Killings Case at Supreme Court
