2006 Nithari case: Special CBI court pronounces capital punishment for Surendra Koli

Surendra Koli who has been found guilty of murder of Nanda Devi in the 2006 Nithari serial killing case, has been given capital punishment, on Friday, by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad.

The court had found Koli guilty of the murder on October 5.

Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) had sought the response of Koli on a plea of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government against the Allahabad High Court's verdict that commuted his death penalty to life term.

Koli is also accused of gruesome killing Rimpa Halder.

He is also the accused of sexually assaulting girls before killing them, and allegedly eating them. The case came into light when two Nithari residents hinted his involvement in the disappearance of several children over the past two years since 2004.

The case was further strengthened when carcasses of children were found in the drain outside the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, where Koli worked as a servant.

On February 13, 2009, Koli was sentenced to death by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad.

The HC had passed the order while allowing a PIL filed by People's Union for Democratic Rights, clubbed with another petition filed by Koli himself.

The Nithari case came to light in 2006 when police discovered skulls and bones of 19 people from near Pandher's house in the Noida village. The case was handed over to CBI for probe.

Sixteen cases were filed against Koli, of which court had awarded death sentence in five earlier.