Nithari Killings: Allahabad HC Acquits Surendra Koli In 12 Cases And Moninder Singh Pandher In 2 Cases

Nithari Killings Case: The Allahabad High Court has acquitted Surendra Koli in 12 cases and Moninder Singh Pandher in two cases in connection with the 2006 Nithari serial murders.

Nithari Case: The Allahabad High Court on Monday acquitted Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher in all the cases they were convicted in the 2006 Nithari murders case. The High Court canceled the death sentence given to Surendra Koli in 12 cases and Moninder Singh Pandher in two cases. The verdict has come as a major blow to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The High Court canceled the death sentence that was awarded to the convicts by Ghaziabad's CBI court. A division bench of Justice Ashwini Kumar Mishra and Justice Sha Rizvi gave the order.

However, the court upheld the death sentence of Koli in one case and on the basis of delay, commuted the same in another case to life imprisonment.

Now, both have been acquitted in these. The convicts had filed 14 applications in the high court and the decision has been pronounced on the same. Surendra Koli had filed an appeal against the death sentence given to him in 12 cases while Moninder Singh Pandher had filed a plea against the punishment given in two cases.

Manisha Bhandari, lawyer of Nithari case convict Moninder Singh Pandher, said, "Allahabad High Court has acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher in the two appeals against him. There were a total of 6 cases against him. Koli has been acquitted in all appeals against him here."

The court acquitted them on the basis of a lack of direct evidence and witnesses.

However, in the Rimpa Halder murder case, both the High Court and the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence of Surendra Kohli. On the basis of evidence, both were given death sentences in the Rimpa Halder murder case. Later, the High Court heard their applications for 134 working days and reserved its judgment on September 15.

The infamous Nithari case came to light in the year 2006.

The first of the twelve petitions of Surendra Koli was filed in the year 2010. However, apart from these petitions, the High Court has also disposed of some of Koli's pleas. 

In his plea, the accused argued there was no eyewitness to this incident and that he was convicted and sentenced to death only on the basis of scientific and circumstantial evidence.