Surendra Koli, Moninder Singh Pandher convicted in 2006 Nithari case

A special CBI court on Tuesday convicted Surendra Koli and Maninder Singh Pandher in the infamous Nithari case. Koli was convicted for the murder of Deepika alias Payal, while Pandher was convicted under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956.

New Delhi:A special CBI court on Tuesday convicted Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher in the infamous 2006 Nithari case. Koli was convicted for the murder of Deepika alias Payal, while Pandher was convicted under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956. The-then Sub Inspector Simranjeet Kaur - accused of helping the duo - was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The sentence in the case will be pronounced on May 19. Koli, in January 2021, was sentenced to death by the Ghaziabad CBI Court in the 12th case associated with the Nithari controversy. He was further imposed a fine of Rs 70,000. During the same hearing, however, Pandher had been acquitted.

On December 29, 2006, 19 male skeletons had been found in house number 5 in Noida's Sector 31. The house was owned by Maninder Singh Pandher, with Koli employed as his servant. Among the 19, one belonged to an adult, while five were male children and the rest were minor girls. According to Koli's confession, the adult was later identified as 'Payal', who was kidnapped, raped and murdered. The confession further detailed that dead body was also violated, followed by Koli carving the bodies and consuming the flesh.