"Barbaric'' Koli''s death sentence in Nithari case upheld by SC

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) The "barbaric" Nithari rapist-cum-serial killer Surinder Koli''s death sentence for the murder ofa 14-year-old girl in 2005 was today upheld by the SupremeCourt which described his act as "horrifying" and one of therarest of the rare cases.

Holding that the appellant, Koli "appears to be theserial killer", the court said "these cases in our opinionfall within the category of the rarest of the rare cases."

"No mercy can be shown to him," a bench of justicesMarkandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said while giving theverdict in the Rimpa Haldar murder case in just 90 minutes.

39-year-old Koli has also been awarded capitalpunishment by the trial court in three other cases of rape andkilling of young women and children at Nithari village nearNoida on the outskirts of the national capital.

A total of 16 cases were registered against Koli and hisbusinessmen-employer Moninder Singh Pandher (54) who was alsosentenced to death in Rimpa Haldar case but acquitted by theAllahabad High Court. Pandher is facing trial in several ofthe other Nithari cases which surfaced in December 2006.

While confirming Koli''s death sentence, the apex courtkept pending with itself the CBI appeal against acquittal ofPandher, saying any order passed against him or in his favourcan have a bearing on remaining cases which are at the trialstage.