CBI blames UP Govt for mob assault on Pandher, Kohli

New Delhi, Jan 25 (UNI) The CBI held Uttar Pradesh Government responsible for the mob attack in a Ghaziabad court on Nithari serial killing prime accused Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli today and said it is the duty of the local police to provide protection to the accused.

''A person who is being produced in court has to be provided protection by local police. It is the duty of the State Government ...,'' CBI Director Vijay Shankar said.

He described the incident as unfortunate and daid action will be taken as per the law.

''The CBI is seeking information on the incident from the Home Ministry and the State Government,'' he added.

Pandher and Koli were beaten up by lawyers and the public in the premises of the CBI court in Ghaziabad where they were produced by the agency.

Pandher, in his fifties, sustained injuries and lost consciousness after the attack by lawyers and members of the public who were enraged over the grisly killings at his Noida residence.

As both were being taken to the lockup after being produced in court, a group of lawyers caught hold of Pandher and repeatedly punched him on his face and rained blows on him. Koli was also assaulted.

Police personnel escorting them had a tough time controlling the angry crowd.

The CBI, which had taken over the custody of both the accused on January 11, produced them in court to seek their fresh remand.

It had registered 19 cases against them.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had on December 29 recovered skulls and human remains from a drain behind Pandher's D-5, Sector 31 house in Noida, unearthing the serial killings of children and women allegedly by him and his domestic help Koli.

Several police personnel have been sacked and four suspended after criticism that they were slow to follow up on reports of missing children in Nithari for over at least two years.

UNI