Nithari Killings: Allahabad HC To Deliver Verdict On Monday On Whether To Confirm Death Penalty Of Surendra Koli, Moninder Pander

The bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi had reserved the judgment last month in a total of 12 appeals and court references concerning capital punishment awarded to them.

While Koli was handed death sentences in more than 10 cases earlier, Pandher too, has been sentenced to death in three cases by the trial courts.

On Thursday (September 14), the arguments on the scientific evidence were advanced through virtual mode by counsels for the appellant-Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli. Pursuant to this, the Judgment in the matter was reserved.

Case background

It is believed that the infamous Nithari murders were committed between 2005 and 2006. The matter came to light when in December 2006, skeletons were found in a drain near a house in Nithari, Noida.

Later on, it was found that Moninder Pander is the owner of the house and Koli was his domestic help and hence, both were implicated in the FIRs

The CBI registered a total of 16 cases, charge sheeting Koli in all of them for murder, abduction, and rape besides destruction of evidence, and Pandher in one for immoral trafficking.

The Ghaziabad court, however, summoned Pandher in five other cases after several victims' families approached it. As per the CBI, Koli had killed several girls by chopping off their bodies to pieces before throwing them in the backyard outside their house.

Advocate Manisha Bhandari appeared for Pander. Advocate Payoshi Roy appeared for Koli.