Supreme Court’s Verdict Raises Painful Questions as Victims’ Families Demand True Justice in Nithari Case

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The Supreme Court has acquitted Surendra Koli in the last remaining case linked to the Nithari killings, ordering his release if not required in any other matter. A bench of Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Vikram Nath stated that keeping his conviction in just one case, when he had already been acquitted in twelve others based on identical evidence, would be unjust.

Delivering the verdict, Justice Vikram Nath said, “The petitioner be released forthwith, if not wanted in any other case. The jail superintendent is to be informed of this judgment immediately.” The court had earlier observed that maintaining a single conviction after overturning others on the same grounds would amount to a “travesty of justice.”

Families of Victims Question the Verdict


The families of the Nithari victims expressed deep pain and disbelief after the ruling. One father said, “We were pained when Pandher (Moninder Singh Pandher) was acquitted... Pandher had admitted to his crime before the Police. If Koli (Surendra Koli) is not responsible for it, if Pandher is not responsible for it, why were they jailed for all these years? In that case, those who jailed him should be hanged. If they are not the perpetrators, who is?”

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Another grieving mother voiced her anger and confusion, saying, “Moninder (Moninder Singh Pandher) and Surendra (Surendra Koli) killed so many children. But nothing is being done about the case. Who is guilty now? Was there a ghost in that house that killed all the children? They used to kill children and indulge in organ trafficking. Now they say that they are innocent. Law is letting them go; God won't.”

Background of the Nithari case


The Nithari killings took place between 2005 and 2006 in Noida’s Sector-31, near Nithari village. The case revolved around the barbaric murders of many children and women, and certain reports hinted at the possibility of organ trafficking. 

Surendra Koli and Mohinder Singh Pandher were apprehended and found guilty in many cases, yet, over time, most of the decisions were overturned by courts for the reason of inconsistent evidence.

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Analysis and Significance of the Verdict


The Supreme Court’s decision to acquit Surendra Koli highlights critical gaps in the investigation and prosecution process. Although the judiciary intends to rectify previous mistakes, the victims’ relatives remain in a state of uncertainty and suffering. 

The whole affair amplifies the necessity of criminal justice accountability and brings up tough issues around justice, truth, and the faith one can have in the system.

For now, the Nithari killings remain one of India’s most haunting criminal cases, where even after nearly two decades, the victims’ families continue to ask the same painful question - if not them, then who killed their children?

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