The Allahabad High Court acquitted the accused in the infamous Nithari Case a few weeks ago. Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher are the names of the accused, and lack of evidence led to their acquittal. In 2006, they faced accusations of heinous crimes including rape and murder. The court had indeed sentenced them to death earlier.
The discovery of skeletal remains of eight children in a sewage drain near a house in Nithari village, Noida, shook the nation in 2006. Upon further investigation, many more remains were discovered by the police. All the remains belonged to children and young women from the same area. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began the investigation and soon discovered more skeletal remains. As the investigation proceeded, all the clues implicated Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic helper, Surendra Koli.
In December 2006, authorities arrested Pandher in the case, and 17 years later, the Allahabad High Court acquitted him due to a lack of evidence. The release of Pandher from jail in the Nithari case shocked people, and they still can’t believe his acquittal in this brutal case.
A botched-up investigation led to the acquittal of Moninder Singh Pandher.
Though police arrested Pandher and Koli as the prime suspects, the court openly criticized authorities for negligence during the investigation. The Central Government formed a high-level inquiry committee to investigate police lapses during the reporting and investigation period. As the investigation progressed, authorities found photographs of Pandher featuring nude children and foreigners. However, investigators found that the nude children in the pictures were Moninder Singh Pandher’s grandchildren.
After four days of mounting pressure from the Indian government, the case was transferred to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation). The CBI continued its investigation and discovered more skeletal remains. However, the case took a U-turn, when a relative of a victim informed the Supreme Court that the CBI was trying to shield Moninder Singh Pandher. On February 13, 2009, a special sessions court found both accused guilty in the case and sentenced them to death.
However, in September 2009, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher and overturned his death sentence. Continuing for 8 years, the investigation led to another death sentence for Pandher and Koli in the Nithari killings.
In October 2023, the court acquitted Koli and Pandher, dropping all charges after 17 years. The Allahabad High Court’s Bench, comprising Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi, announced the acquittal, allowing Pandher and Koli’s appeals. The court acquitted Pandher in two cases. The court said, “we hold that the prosecution has failed to prove the guilt of accused S.K. and Pandher beyond reasonable doubt, on the settled parameters of a case based on circumstantial evidence.” The judges also slammed the investigating authorities for being “casual” and dealing with the case in the most “disheartening” way.
The victims’ families reportedly plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the recent acquittal.
