Nithari-like case: 100 skeletons recovered

Etah, Jan 22: Panic gripped this district of Uttar Pradesh after the recovery of about 40 skulls and over 100 human skeletons from a pond near an abandoned post-mortem house here.

As skulls and bones were recovered yesterday morning, locals feared it to be another horrendous Nithari-like incident.

However, District Magistrate Ram Kumar denied any criminal act behind the incident.

''The skulls and skeletons are of people, who were buried by the villagers near the post-mortem house. As the dilapidated building had no doors and windows, the bones and skulls might had been dragged out by stray dogs and other wild animals,'' Mr Kumar added.

''A committee headed by the Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has been formed to probe the case and submit report within 24 hrs,'' Mr Kumar maintained.

The post-mortem house was constructed in 1880 and stopped functioning 100 years back, after a new one was set up.

Although, police is tightlipped about the case, the recovery of skulls and skeletons is a matter of great concern as 50 people, including 12 minors and a former guard of the SSP, are reported to be missing in the district during the last two years.

Several human skeletons had been recovered in Noida after nearly 38 children went missing from Nithari village, having a population of 6,000.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has ordered a CBI probe.

The central agency has so far recovered more than 50 bags of 'bio-material', including 20 skulls and bones of limbs and torso, and collected DNA samples of 37 'sets of parents' of the victims.

The accused Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher have been arrested and are being interrogated.

UNI