Noida Nithari case that saw 16 killings: A 17-year trail
Unlocking the Nithari Mystery in Noida: A 17-Year Journey
A group of experts is working in the lush area, discovering old bones near a house in Nithari village, a place that’s famous for a dark event. This event involved 16 terrible murders.
If you visit this spot today, you might not even notice it. This house was known as the ‘House of Horrors’ after some terrible things happened here in 2006. It’s hidden under a lot of plants and trees.
In Court, they talked about 16 cases. The main person, Koli, was given the most serious punishment in 13 of them, and in one case, they changed it to life in prison instead of the death penalty. He was found not guilty in three cases. Another person, Pandher, got the death penalty in two cases and seven years in jail for another. But things took a surprising turn on a Monday when the higher court said Pandher was not guilty in both of his cases, and Koli was found not guilty in all 12 of his cases.
This is the story of a very complicated and puzzling case that lasted for 17 years, showing us the mysterious side of human behavior
Here’s The Report
October 7, 2006 | First Police Report Five months pass since a 22-year-old woman vanishes in Nithari, and only then does the first official report surface, ordered by a local court.
December 29, 2006 | Grim Discoveries In a police search operation, eight sets of skeletal remains are discovered in a drain close to the D-5 bungalow in Nithari. The house owner, Moninder Singh Pandher, and his domestic helper, Surinder Koli, are apprehended. More ghastly discoveries follow.
January 3, 2007 | Accountability Matters Following a two-member panel’s findings that highlight negligence in handling cases of missing children over the previous two years, three senior police officers and several local officers face suspensions.
January 10, 2007 | CBI Takes Charge The Uttar Pradesh government transfers the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). CBI teams uncover additional skeletal remains from the drain, yet the true count of victims remains uncertain. Chargesheets are filed, listing accusations of rape, murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy, and human trafficking in 16 cases.
March 1, 2007 | A Chilling Confession In a recorded statement, Surinder Koli confesses to the sexual assault and murders of six children and one woman, as well as the gruesome act of cannibalism, adding another layer to the perplexing Nithari case.
February 13, 2009 | The First Verdict
In a significant moment for the Nithari case, the CBI court delivers its first judgment. Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher are both sentenced to death. This trial marks the beginning of a lengthy legal journey that would involve over 2,000 hearings over the course of 13 years.
December 24, 2012 | Another Death Sentence
Koli receives another death sentence in a separate case, further deepening the gravity of the Nithari case.
July 20, 2014 | Presidential Decision
President Pranab Mukherjee denies Surinder Koli’s mercy petition, which sought clemency from his other death sentences.
July 24, 2014 | Supreme Court Dismissal
The Supreme Court dismisses Koli’s review petition, closing another chapter in his legal battle.
September 8, 2014 | Midnight Intervention
In a last-minute effort to save Koli from the scheduled execution at a Meerut jail at 5:30 am, Koli’s counsel, Indira Jaisingh, appeals to the Supreme Court for a review of the case. Just hours before the execution, a bench of justices HL Dattu and Anil R Dave convenes after midnight. At 1:40 am, they grant a one-week stay of execution. Koli’s lawyers make a speedy trip to Meerut with the stay order, delivering it to jail authorities at 3:30 am.
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October 29, 2014 | Final Review
The Supreme Court bench, led by then Chief Justice HL Dattu, reviews the case and affirms the correctness of previous court judgments, marking another crucial development in the Nithari case.
January 29, 2015 | A Landmark Decision
A division bench of the Allahabad High Court, presided over by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud (who would later become the Chief Justice of India) and Justice PKS Baghel, takes a momentous step. They commute Surinder Koli’s death penalty to life imprisonment, citing that the extraordinary delay in deciding his mercy petition renders the death sentence “unconstitutional.”
March 2, 2019 | A Harrowing Tenth Sentence
In a grim turn of events, Koli receives his tenth death sentence at the trial court, further extending the legal complexities surrounding the Nithari case.
2022 | Legal Journey’s End
The trial court concludes hearings in all 16 Nithari cases, marking the culmination of a lengthy and intricate legal process.
September 10, 2023 | Awaiting Judgment
The Allahabad High Court reserves its verdict on an appeal filed by Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, challenging their convictions and the death sentences imposed on them in the Nithari killings.
October 16, 2023 | A Startling Turn
In a surprising twist in the Nithari case, the Allahabad High Court acquits Surinder Koli in 12 cases where he had previously been sentenced to death. Additionally, Moninder Singh Pandher is also acquitted in two cases where he faced the same grim fate. This marks a significant turning point in the Nithari case, as justice takes an unexpected course.
