The serial murders in Uttar Pradesh's Noida in 2006 shocked the entire country. The murders took place in the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Nithari village, Sector-31, Noida. Pandher and his servant Surinder Koli were named the accused. However, the Allahabad High Court acquitted them in 2023, citing lack of evidence.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court acquitted Koli in the final pending case and ordered his immediate release.
Following Koli's acquittal, the silence at the Nithari village is deafening. Families of the victims who had been waiting for justice for years are now in despair.
A Look At The Case
The serial murders came to light in 2006 when human remains were found near the D-5 house in Nithari. The house belonged to Moninder Singh Pandher.
READ: 'Who Killed Our Children?' Families Of Victims After 'Nithari Monster' Acquitted
The gruesome findings, unearthing the disappearance and killings of several children and women, had triggered nationwide outrage and terrorised the local community.
Following an investigation, Pandher and Koli were arrested, with the police accusing them of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, murdering, and disposing the bodies of children and women.
Both the men were originally sentenced to death. But in 2023, they were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court due to lack of evidence.
"We Feel Defeated..."
As the NDTV team moved through the streets of Nithari following Tuesday's Supreme Court decision, the pain in the village only worsened.
Sitting outside the D-5 house, Lakshmi, whose eight-year-old daughter went missing in 2006, still lives with the same question: "What was our daughter's fault?"
Lakshmi says, "We had hope from the police, but we haven't received justice. So many years have passed, and now we feel defeated." She said that the voices of poor families weren't heard during the investigation.
"When children were disappearing in 2006, everyone was scared. Many rumors spread- some said doctors were coming, some said something else- but the truth never came out," she added.
She hoped that the Uttar Pradesh government would get them justice.
Nithari natives Jhabu and Sunita lost their ten-year-old daughter Jyoti in the crime and fear that Pandher and Koli will commit the crime again.
READ: Regrettable That Real Perpetrator Not Identified: Top Court In Nithari Case
Speaking with NDTV, Jhabu said, "We used to iron clothes for the Pandher household. Our Jyoti went to get her dupatta stitched and never returned. Her clothes and slippers were found at the Pandher's house.
"If my daughter were alive, I would have grandchildren today. Now only God will provide justice," Sunita said.
"Accused Should Have Been Hanged"
The women of Nithari, who lived in the village when the serial murders were being committed, still fear for their lives.
They said that both Pandher and Koli should have been hanged. Despite national media coverage, the victims' families and others do not prefer to talk, saying, "What's the point of talking? The matter will be forgotten..."
