Nithari Killings: Allahabad High Court Reserves Verdict On Appeals Of Accused Surendra Koli, Moninder Pander Against Death Penalty

The bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi reserved the judgment in the appeals and court reference concerning capital punishment awarded to them in one of the cases.

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 may be noted Koli and Pandher have been found guilty of rape and murder of several children between 2005 and 2006 and have been awarded death penalty. Against their conviction order, they have moved the HC.

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.