SC Trashes Pleas of CBI & Others Against Acquittal of Koli, Pandher

In a major setback to the CBI and families of the 2006 Nithari case victims, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed as many as 14 appeals of the probe agency and some family members challenging the acquittal of Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher in the gruesome serial killings.

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The killings came to light with the discovery of skeletal remains of eight children from a drain behind Pandher's house at Nithari in Noida, bordering the national capital, on December 29, 2006.

Further digging and searches of drains in the area around Pandher's house led to more skeletal remains. Most of these remains were that of poor children and young women who had gone missing from the area. Within 10 days, the CBI took over the case and its search resulted in the recovery of more remains.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and justices Satish Chandra Sharma and K Vinod Chandran dismissed the 14 appeals on Wednesday. Twelve pleas were filed by the CBI and the other two by Pappu Lal and Anil Haldar.

"There is no perversity in the Allahabad High Court judgment... (the petitions are) dismissed," the CJI said after a brief hearing.