Kin of Nithari victims protest clean chit to Pandher

The CBI has named Koli as the prime accused in the charge sheet,stating there was lack of evidence against Pandher.

Family members of Nithari victims on Thursday expressed their resentment over the CBI giving a clean chit to industrialist Moninder Singh Pandher in the case.

Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli were arrested in December 2006 soon after the recovery of human bones,skulls and other items from a drain near Pander’s D-5,Sector-31 residence in Noida.

While the duo was held accused in the case initially,the CBI named Koli as the prime accused in the charge sheet,stating there was lack of evidence against Pandher.

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The father of one of the victims,Jyoti,alleged CBI saved Pandher but he will drag him to court for his daughter’s murder.

Vandana Sarkar,mother of another victim,Pinki,also accused the CBI of letting Pandher go scot-free.

The father of another victim,Rachna,alleged CBI distorted his statement to save Pandher.

A special CBI court here had on Thursday held Koli guilty of rape and murder of 12-year-old Deepali.

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This is the fourth case in which Koli has been awarded death sentence by the special CBI court here.

Koli was also given capital punishment in February 2009 for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Rimpa Haldar,in September 2009 for rape and murder of 8-year-old Aarti and in May this year on the same charges in the case relating to teenager Rachna.

A total of 19 cases were filed in connection with the rape and murder of children and a young woman whose skeletal remains,clothes and footwear were found in Nithari in 2006 and the CBI had filed charge sheets in 16 cases. Three cases were closed due to lack of evidence.

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