Allahabad HC acquits Pandher in Nithari killings case

Allahabad,Sep 11 (ANI): The Allahabad High Court on Friday acquitted Nithari serial killer M S Pandher for the murder of Rimpa Halder, a woman who among the 19 people was killed at the businessman's home.

A special court had in February convicted Pandher for Halder's murder.

The High Court upheld the conviction of Pandher's domestic help Surender Kohli, who has been given the death sentence for the serial murders of 19 children and a woman.

Haldar, a married woman, was called by Kohli to work as housemaid at Pandher's Bunglow. She had gone missing before the disclosure of the Nithari killings.

The Nithari killings that came to light three years ago made people across the country flabbergasted, as it involved brutal killings of innocent children.

The skeletal remains of the children were first discovered in a sewer behind Pandher's plush D-5 bungalow in Noida's Sector 31.The human skulls were stuffed in 57 gunny bags along with 700 bone pieces.

Special Judge Rema Jain completed the proceedings after the re-cross examination of former Noida police officer Dinesh Yadav on January 27 and the recording of statements of Pandher and Kohli.

A total of 19 cases of killings, mainly of girls and women, were registered at the Noida police station in December 2006 and all the cases were transferred to the CBI for investigation. (ANI)