Pandher, Koli discharged from RML hospital

New Delhi, Jan 25: Prime accused in the Nithari serial killing, Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli, who were beaten up in a Ghaziabad court this morning, were discharged from a city hospital after treatment and thorough medical examination.

Doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital told sources that both the accused had sustained minor injuries and they were discharged after through examination.

''They were admitted to the emergency ward. Pandher has some bruises and abrasions on his abdomen. Both are fine and after the medical examination it was concluded that they are fine. The vitals are normal,'' they added.

Cardiologists and neurologists also examined the medical reports of the accused, who are in CBI custody.

After the discharge, CBI officials took then to the agency headquarters.

Pandher and Koli were beaten up by lawyers and the public in the premises of a 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